Jameis Winston remains a free agent three weeks after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers released him, and it is looking less likely by the day that a team will sign him with the intent of making him a starter. However, Winston is still hoping for a chance to compete for a starting job.
Winston and his representatives are searching for a team that has a quarterback who may not have a strong hold on the starting job, according to Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller. If there is no opportunity to compete for a starting job, Winston may look to sign with a team like the Seattle Seahawks or Green Bay Packers so he can back up a star QB.
Looking like Jameis will have to start off as a backup this year
(via B/R’s @nfldraftscout) pic.twitter.com/gW8Bc69aoD
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) April 12, 2020
Winston almost certainly is not going to sign with a team before the draft. Any team that has a vacancy at quarterback (and there aren’t many) or is looking to create an open competition will likely try to address that in the draft first. Winston may need to wait until later in the offseason to see if a veteran gets injured, though it’s unclear when teams might start organized activities with the coronavirus still spreading.
We have already heard some indicators that Winston could have trouble finding work, and the 30 interceptions he threw last season are only part of the issue. However, the former No. 1 overall pick is still just 26 years old. There should be plenty of interest in him if he accepts the fact that he may need to spend a season as a backup.
