Wide receiver Mike Evans believes the Buccaneers should keep Jameis Winston around for the long term. Is he right?
Many fans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — as well as many NFL fans in general — believe that it is time for the team to move on from quarterback Jameis Winston.
He gave the franchise hope when the Bucs selected him with the first overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. It has been an interesting and hopeful experiment, but after the relatively dismal season Winston is having in 2018, many believe it’s time to put an end to it, and officially move on.
But wide receiver Mike Evans is not in that camp, and for good reason. Winston is only 24 years old. He entered the league when he was only 21, still practically a kid. Even though this is already his fourth season in the NFL, he still has most of his career ahead of him.
“You’ve got to look at the numbers,” Evans said, via Pewter Report. “He’s a young guy, look at all the other young quarterbacks when they were at his point of his career, and where’s been. Tampa hasn’t been the easiest place to win, so, what he’s done is pretty impressive to me.”
Feeling a strong urge to give up on Winston would be completely understandable if he was on the verge of turning 30 and had yet to accomplish anything significant in football.
But he isn’t even 25 yet. He’s a former Pro Bowler, and a former Rookie of the Year. In college, he won a national championship at Florida State, as well as the Heisman Trophy.
Winston has had some problems staying healthy, as well as some off-the-field incidents that the Buccaneers obviously have to take very seriously. But they selected him first overall in the draft, and they have to believe that he will get on the right track.
He’s hit a speed bump in his career, no doubt. But Evans is right. At age 24, it’s far too early to blow the whistle on Winston once and for all.