Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Fitzpatrick could actually bench Jameis Winston

They likely will never come out and say it, but it’s “felt” like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have sought an excuse to move on from Jameis Winston.

That is not easy of course. One does not simply move on from a former #1 overall pick. How bad of a look would it be for a franchise to dump what was supposed to be a foundational talent after just three seasons? In truth though, the Buccaneers are in the midst of unique circumstances. It starts with the man himself. Winston’s conduct has weakened by “#1 pick” shield that envelopes players like him.

He already had multiple issues off the field coming out of Florida State including sexual assault allegations. So when yet another involving an Uber driver surfaced, that no doubt set off plenty of alarm bells. Then there’s the fact that Winston’s play on the field hasn’t improved. He can still make big plays like the talent he is but his bad tendencies to turn the football over haven’t gone away since he was a rookie.

All of these things piled together and yeah. It makes perfect sense why the Buccaneers are frustrated with him, and also why they are more open to the idea of benching him than people might think. Now that outlandish possibility took one giant step closer to reality.

Ryan Fitzpatrick‘s play is what Winston should fear most

No player epitomizes the peak of what a true journeyman NFL player is than Ryan Fitzpatrick. The former Harvard grad has made a career out of not only surviving on several rosters but also excelling whenever he gets a chance to play. How’s this for a stat? In 14 years, Fitzpatrick has started a game for six different teams. He has won at least six games in a season for three of them. Not bad for a former 7th round pick.

Now Ian Rapaport is reporting that the Bucs are quite open to leaving him in as the starter if he continues to play close to the level he has dating back to last season.

"“That said, sources say the Bucs might hold off installing Winston as the starter when he returns from suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy in Week 4. With a short week after playing on Monday night in Week 3, Ryan Fitzpatrick could remain the starter for at least another week.Both Winston and Tampa Bay are committed to doing what’s in the best interest of the team. If that means riding the hot hand, that will be OK. Winston has told the team as much, while also noting that he expected Fitz to play well.”"

This might be the best supporting cast that Fitzpatrick has ever had in his career. The receiving trio of Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Desean Jackson along with tight end O.J. Howard is no joke. There’s talent everywhere. He knows where to go with the football. All the Buccaneers have to do is protect him and he’s shown he can slice up defenses at will. It would be another monumental chapter in one of the craziest NFL careers if Fitzpatrick put Winston on the bench.