Many analysts and fans alike for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have labeled Jameis Winston a ‘bust.’ Is that a fair assessment?
After five years as the starter, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers elected to part ways with QB Jameis Winston in favor of 43-year-old veteran Tom Brady.
Winston, the No. 1 overall pick for the Buccaneers back in 2015, finished his time in Tampa Bay with a 28-42 overall record and never made the playoffs.
With Winston gone, many Buccaneers fans have shown an outpouring of support for the quarterback.
From the bottom of our hearts...
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) March 22, 2020
Thank you, 3⃣ 🙏 pic.twitter.com/irYANWpfz7
Others, however, were happy to see him leave.
No matter what side of fence you fall on as a Buccaneers fan, the next step in terms of questions in Winston’s legacy was fairly routine: Did he leave Tampa Bay as a bust–strictly from a football perspective?
Jameis Winston's legacy in Tampa described in one word by @ZacOnTheMic, "Bust". pic.twitter.com/CkhN0wyuae
— 96.9 The Game (@969thegame) March 20, 2020
#OPENMIKE SUPPLEMENTAL POLL NO. 2: Was #JameisWinston a bust in Tampa Bay?
— 96.9 The Game (@969thegame) March 23, 2020
Jameis Winston not a bust! 30 picks hard to ignore but so is 5k yards and 30+TD’s....he just turned 26! He should be the leading FA right now!
— Ryan Davis (@bigdavis813) March 21, 2020
Is Jameis Winston a bust? Yes and no. Yes because after 5 years he clearly didn’t reach expectations. However, no because he didn’t fizzle out. He still put up amazing statistics. He is closer to a bust than not a bust.
— 2 Birds and a 3rd (@2birdsand3rd) March 22, 2020
Though Buccaneers fans have their opinions and the word ‘bust’ can be defined in many different ways, it’s easy to look at the facts and see why many are coming to that conclusion:
- A Career Losing Record
- 121 TD passes to 88 INTs
- In his fifth season, he led the league in interceptions
- A No. 1 overall draft pick who didn’t get re-signed
The question of ‘bust’ depends on the expectations you had of Winston when he came to the organization. Did you expect that he would be the savior of the franchise? Did you think that he would eventually lead Tampa Bay to Super Bowl appearances? That he would build off of his impressive Florida State legacy and become an instant elite-level talent? If so, then it’s pretty easy to say that he is a bust.
However, it’s good to point out that though he hasn’t reached expectations, Winston is still in the league. He was still improving, he was still showing that upside.
Though we will never get to see what Winston could’ve turned out to be in Tampa Bay, it’s probably not fair to call him a bust until he has one more opportunity with another franchise. If he never gets that chance, he’ll certainly fall into that category, as well.
Right now, though, I would still refrain from calling him a complete bust and would, instead, let the verdict work itself out over the course of the next couple of seasons with him out of Tampa Bay.