Jameis Winston Bids Farewell to Tampa Bay

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have never given a second contract to a quarterback they've drafted, and the streak will continue for at least a few more years.

With Friday's official signing of Tom Brady to a two-year deal, the Bucs make it clear they're moving on from Jameis Winston.

Winston acknowledged the changing of the guard with a heartfelt social media post Saturday morning:

It's been a great 5 seasons as a Buccaneer. All love and respect, I love Tampa and I look forward to seeing y'all again in February. #SBLV #2020Vision #Dreamforever pic.twitter.com/MIPiCfreXW
— Jameis Winston (@Jaboowins) March 21, 2020

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft out of Florida State, Winston spent most of the last five seasons as Tampa Bay's starting quarterback. At just 26 years old, he leaves as the Bucs' all-time leader in every major passing category.

In his final season in Tampa Bay, Winston led the NFL with 5,109 passing yards, becoming just the eighth player in league history to throw for more than 5,000 yards in a single season. His 33 touchdown passes last season were a single-season franchise record, and finished second in the NFL, trailing only league MVP Lamar Jackson.

Winston's downfall, however, was the inability to avoid an egregious amount of turnovers. Over his five seasons in Tampa Bay, no quarterback turned the ball over more times. He led the NFL with a whopping 30 interceptions in 2019, seven of which were returned for touchdowns.

An in-state prospect with a loyal fan base throughout Florida, Winston will now look for a new opportunity to prove he can still be a successful starter in the NFL, though he may have to take a backup role first.