The 4-7 Tampa Bay Buccaneers will need a miracle if they want to somehow qualify for the playoffs, and getting their starting quarterback back on the field Sunday should help.
On Wednesday, Bucs head coach Dirk Koetter announced that Jameis Winston has been cleared to play against the Green Bay Packers. Winston injured his shoulder in Week 6 and aggravated it again in Week 9. He suffered no structural damage and has been undergoing platelet-rich plasma treatments — also known as blood spinning — in recent weeks.
Ryan Fitzpatrick has started the last three games for Tampa Bay and played decent, with the Bucs beating the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins but losing to the Atlanta Falcons last weekend. They really couldn’t afford another loss if they wanted to stay in the postseason hunt, and they basically have to win out now.
Winston’s play had been disappointing this season before he suffered the shoulder injury. The third-year pro has thrown just 10 touchdown passes compared to six interceptions and has a passer rating of 87.3, which is about the same mark he has had since entering the NFL. The Bucs were hoping Winston would take a leap in his third season, so you could say the injury was a big obstacle.
