Winston handed in his second mistake-free game of the season when the Buccaneers defeated the division rival Carolina Panthers 24-17 and kickstarted a much-needed win streak.
Winston is vying for a contract extension and at the same time is working to retain the 5th-year option that will pay him a little over $20 million dollars next season. Jameis Winston is giving one hell of an argument as to why he is the franchise quarterback and deserves to be paid the big bucks.
Winston handed in 249 yards passing, 2 TDs, and no interceptions on 20 completions on 30 attempts. His performance earned him a 114.4 QB rating.
Tampa faces a tough decision at the end of the season concerning the fourth-year QB, whether to give Winston another chance and a fat paycheck. With HC Dirk Koetter and GM Jason Licht’s jobs up in the air, it could be a decision that comes from a whole new set of Buccaneers brass.
Winston certainly makes a strong case, despite issues that kept him benched for a few games and throwing a ton of interceptions on his return. During yesterday’s beating of the Panthers, Jameis Winston surpassed Josh Freeman’s franchise record of 80 TDs thrown in a career. A huge feat for any player who is just 24 years old. Ironically, Josh Freeman was 24 years old when he took the franchise touchdown record from Vinny Testaverde in 2012 (then 77).
I would love to be a fly on the wall when Winston and his agents negotiate a long-term contract with whoever is the decision maker for next season.
