Jameis Winston: Benching “a minor setback for a major comeback”
Posted by Josh Alper on November 1, 2018, 1:54 PM EDT
Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston spoke to the media on Thursday for the first time since Dirk Koetter announced that Ryan Fitzpatrick would start against the Panthers this weekend.
Winston called the benching a “humbling” experience, albeit one he understands because he was “not getting the job done” in his two starts since returning from a suspension. Winston turned the ball over seven times in those two games, which he said puts “your team in a bad position to win.”
Koetter said the quarterback decision was for this week and that he anticipates Winston getting back on the field in the future. Winston said he will be “working my tail off to be ready when my time comes again.”
“It’s a setback,” Winston said, via Eduardo Encina of the Tampa Bay Times. “But it’s a minor setback for a major comeback. It just tells you that you’ve got to continue to get better. I’ve never been in this situation before, so I have to learn from it and I have to grow from it. I have no choice.”
The Buccaneers exercised their option on Winston’s contract for next season, but the $20 million-plus salary is only guaranteed against injury so they have an easy out as long as he’s healthy. That could join Fitzpatrick’s performance as factors into any decision about giving Winston a chance to try for that major comeback this season.
