Don’t just rule out Jameis Winston and the Buccaneers seeing a reunion yet….
More Jameis Winston and the Buccaneers content! I’m sure y’all love it. And guess what; it’s gonna keep coming as long as Blaine Gabbert is on the board as a potential starter in Tampa.
Still, it’s not just The Pewter Plank and social media that are asking the question about a reunion between Winston and the team that drafted him first overall.
Bruce Arians, the supposed biggest Jameis-hater in Tampa (not really), was asked the question about Jameis coming back today, and the response should surprise some people.
Bruce Arians says he’s “not totally” opposed to re-signing Jameis Winston as a free agent but doesn’t think it would be the best thing for Winston.
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) March 1, 2022
While Arians didn’t jump at the idea like a kid in a candy store, his quote shows that there is a chance that this strange future could come to pass. This directly contradicts many of the earlier reports from this offseason and from several years ago that Arians needed Winston to get as far away from Tampa as possible.
Arians ended his quote with another interesting tidbit; that coming back to the Buccaneers may not be best for Winston.
This is entirely true. This upcoming Bucs team could be worse than the one Winston left just two years ago, and trying to navigate all of this change after a serious injury could create some issues.
Still, the fact that Arians didn’t completely shut the idea down is surprising, and it at least shows that this coaching staff legitimately cares about winning as they evaluate all options evenly.
Say what you want about Winston, but his career completely blows Gabbert’s out of the water on a near-identical interception rate on passing attempts.
As Arians’ words reveal, this deal likely doesn’t come to pass with numerous other options in play, but it should be enough fuel for the fire to keep Buccaneers fans wondering who will end up on the top of the quarterback hill by the end of this offseason.
Everyone likes a good redemption story. Maybe Winston gets that chance with the Buccaneers.
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