What's Next for Jameis Winston?

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will have a new starting quarterback in 2020, while the one they've had for the last five seasons looks for a new NFL home.

Jameis Winston, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft, leaves Tampa Bay as the Bucs' all-time leader in every major passing category. At just 26 years old, and coming of a season that saw him lead the NFL with 5,109 yards passing and finish second in the league with 33 touchdown passes, you'd assume he'd be getting plenty of attention on the open market.

Instead, the fact that Winston has turned the ball over more than any other quarterback in the NFL since he entered the league appears to be keeping his market slow and hard to project. Winston's 30 interceptions last season were by far the most in the league, and seven of them were returned for touchdowns.

A handful of teams headed into free agency looking for a starting quarterback, but most if not all of those spots have already been filled. That leaves Winston looking for a scenario where he can either compete for a starting job, or take a backup role behind an aging veteran.

ESPN's Dan Graziano broke down some of the potential situations in which Winston could fit:

Discussed what’s next for Jameis Winston this morning on @getupespn pic.twitter.com/ZeXe8ciFvT
— Dan Graziano (@DanGrazianoESPN) March 23, 2020

Both of those scenarios seem a far cry from what many Winston apologists expected just a few months ago, even after Winston's season ended on an walk-off pick-six in overtime against the Atlanta Falcons. Some hoped the Bucs would place the franchise tag on Winston, paying him around $27 million for one more prove-it season in Tampa Bay. Instead, the Bucs placed the tag on NFL sack leader Shaq Barrett, then signed Tom Brady to replace Winston.

Not only did Winston not get a long-term extension from the Bucs, he's gone straight to picking the best backup spot he can find. Tampa Bay has never signed a quarterback they've drafted to a second contract, and Winston won't be the exception.

While the Bucs move forward with the most successful quarterback in NFL history under center, Winston now faces a unique crossroads in his career. It's a strange development for a passer who did so much good over his five seasons in Tampa Bay, but seems rather fitting when the inconsistency of his entire career is put into focus.