Jameis Winston Benched for Ryan Fitzpatrick After Throwing 4 INTs vs. Bengals

Ryan Fitzpatrick replaced Jameis Winston during the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium after Winston threw four interceptions through three quarters, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Prior to exiting Sunday's contest, Winston was 18-of-35 for 276 yards, one touchdown and the four turnovers.

Winston missed the first three games of this year while serving a suspension. He took over for Fitzpatrick midway through Tampa Bay's 48-10 defeat to the Chicago Bears in Week 4.

The move made sense at the time. Fitzpatrick had fallen back to earth after starting the year with three straight 400-yard passing games, and the 35-year-old isn't the long-term answer at quarterback.

Based on his performance this season, Winston may not be the answer either. He has 10 interceptions in four appearances, and ESPN's Trey Wingo noted the fourth-year passer has generally been turnover-prone:

Winston was a Pro Bowler as a rookie in 2015 after finishing with 4,042 passing yards, 22 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. He had the look of a franchise quarterback upon whom the Bucs could rely for the next decade or more.

Instead, his expected improvement hasn't materialized.

Winston entered Sunday averaging career highs in completion percentage (69.0) and yards per game (301.7), but his interceptions are impossible to ignore. 

Mike Evans is on pace for a fifth straight 1,000-yard receiving season, and DeSean Jackson continues to play at a reasonably high level. Tampa Bay also used a 2017 first-round pick on O.J. Howard to give Winston another target in the passing game.         

Yet he remains an inconsistent quarterback.

The big question is how much Winston's benching is emblematic of the coaching staff and front office losing faith in his abilities. Perhaps head coach Dirk Koetter was merely trying to send Winston a message and still sees him as the starter in Week 9 and beyond.

If the Buccaneers have soured on Winston, then they could go in a different direction in the offseason. Tampa Bay picked up his fifth-year option in April, which counts for $20.9 million against the salary cap. Were Tampa Bay to release Winston, though, it would save all of that money, per Over the Cap.