Former Buccaneers that could return to Tampa before retiring
By Rob Leeds
Obviously, the mere mention of Jameis returning to Tampa Bay will infuriate some people and excite others. Fortunately, Jameis’ position on this list is based on likelihood and not popularity.
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Jameis is currently on a one-year deal in New Orleans. The general belief is that he took a massive pay-cut to learn under Drew Brees and Sean Payton. There were some unconfirmed rumors that Jameis had better offers from teams like the Steelers, which makes sense, but because said deal wasn’t accepted, one must assume the offer didn’t exist.
Why would Jameis go to a team that is openly courting a utility quarterback (and backed this move up by shelling out a substantial contract) when he could go to Pittsburgh to make more money and to play under one of the most well-respected coaches in the NFL in Mike Tomlin?
Ben Roethlisberger is a Hall of Famer just like Drew Brees. The only difference in this scenario is the pay, which was reportedly skewed in favor of Pittsburg. Perhaps no deal existed in the first place.
This brings us to the main point: Jameis did not make the waves in free agency that everyone expected. His asking price was too high related to his turnovers, and teams weren’t keen on taking the risk.
If the Saints do decide to go with Hill, Winston will likely stay on the team as an insurance policy. Very few people expect Hill to do well, but if he does, Jameis could be looking for a new team going into the 2022 season.
The breakup in Tampa Bay may not have been entirely amicable, but it didn’t seem bad enough to exclude the possibility of a make-up down the road. If the Bucs need a starting quarterback and Jameis isn’t locked up somewhere else, a reunion in Tampa isn’t out of the question.