The Loop
How'd Your Team Do, Twitter Edition: Jameis Winston is the worst best quarterback in the NFL
Julio Aguilar
As a redshirt freshman at Florida State, Jameis Winston displayed potential that lead many to believe a Hall-of-Fame professional career was to follow. He threw for 40 touchdowns against 10 picks, amassed over 4,000 yards passing and posted a record of 14-0, helping the Seminoles win their first national championship in 14 years. Winston won every end-of-season award known to man that season, including the Heisman Trophy.
Then came Winston's backwards step of a sophomore season, one plagued by both off-the-field issues and on-the-field miscues. Despite all this Florida State still managed to go undefeated in the regular season, but lost in the inaugural College Football Playoff semifinal to Oregon at the Rose Bowl, which would end up being the only defeat of Winston's college career. Even with the dip in production and the off-field drama, Winston was still going to be the No. 1 pick. The question was, would the team that took him get the 2013 version of Winston or the 2014 version?
Five years later, the answer has been a bit of both. Throughout his time in a Tampa Bay Buccaneers jersey, Winston has looked both elite and bottom-of-the-league bad. He was the NFL Rookie of the Year in 2015 and was named to the Pro Bowl, and he followed that up with a 9-7 season the next year, throwing for 28 touchdowns and over 4,000 yards. In the three years since Winston has been injured, benched, heroic, horrific and everything in between.
That's what makes Winston's impending free agency perhaps the most fascinating one in recent memory. Normally, a "franchise quarterback" would have been locked up weeks ago by his current team, but his erratic play may have the Bucs wondering if it's time to move on. A change of scenery could be good for No. 5, but staying with Bruce Arians for a few more years could prove fruitful as well. On Sunday, Winston once again showed that he can be "the guy" while simultaneously being "the guy that holds the clipboard," throwing for 456 yards and four touchdowns, but also throwing three backbreaking interceptions. Fortunately, he and the Bucs hung on to beat the Colts 38-35 for their third straight win, improving their record to 6-7. Even three more wins won't be enough, however, as the Bucs were eliminated from playoff contention on Sunday.
As always, Twitter was the place to be during Jameis' incredible Jekyll and Hyde act. Enjoy: