Jameis Winston Rumors: Latest Buzz on QB's Free-Agent Destination

Jameis Winston could go from the NFL's leading passer in 2019 to without a starting position for the 2020 campaign.

Winston will not be returning to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers since they signed Tom Brady in free agency.

That means the 26-year-old is on the free-agent market, but there may not be many suitors for his services. 

According to ESPN's Jeff Darlington, the market for Winston, according to an NFL executive with a quarterback need, is "ice cold." 

One hindrance on Winston's situation could be the lack of in-person visitation because of travel restrictions in place amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The absence of one-on-one meetings could hurt Winston if there is a negative perception surrounding him. He was suspended for the first three games in 2018 following an accusation of sexual assault of an Uber driver. 

Darlington noted Winston "comes with a lot of controversy, so until a team can really sit down with him and make that decision for themselves, it could be tough for Jameis." 

Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reported Winston "is believed to have some interest from a couple of undisclosed teams." 

The New England Patriots are one of the teams looking for a starter, but NFL Network's Michael Giardi noted an agreement between the team and Winston "seems unlikely at this juncture." 

New England's signing of Brian Hoyer Sunday put three quarterbacks on its roster, which takes it out of the Winston discussion.

As if the market conditions were not tough enough on Winston, he could be viewed as the second-best player available at his position after Cam Newton was replaced by Teddy Bridgewater as the Carolina Panthers' No. 1 quarterback. 

A potential suitor could be more intrigued by Newton's long-term success over Winston's one 5,000-yard season under Bruce Arians.

However, Winston does hold an advantage when it comes to his health, as he played 16 games in 2019 and Newton missed a majority of the season because of injury.

The Los Angeles Chargers would have been a logical landing spot for Winston, but that possible move does not appear like it will happen. 

In appearance on ESPN's "Get Up" Monday, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the Chargers do not have any interest in Winston, which leaves him with very few options. 

"There is not another obvious landing spot for Jameis Winston where he can compete for a starting job on day one—not on the surface right now. The Chargers are not going to be interested in Jameis Winston at this point in time. The New England Patriots signed Brian Hoyer, and so we've got a situation where Jameis Winston finds himself much in the same situation that Ryan Tannehill was in last year. It's no longer a question of Jameis Winston finding a starting job. It's finding the right job that he believes has the chance to grow in the future, maybe compete for the job and better his situation for the 2021 season. But he's not going to land a starting job on paper for 2020."

That report would line up with the current quarterback situations across the league, and it is unfortunate from the player's perspective after he threw for 5,109 passing yards and 33 touchdowns last season.

While those numbers were impressive, he was intercepted on 30 occasions, and that could be a red flag for any team looking to bring him in, even as a backup.

Unless a deal comes about before the draft, Winston would have to settle for a backup role, which would also hurt his chances of a significant pay raise. 

Winston made $20.9 million in 2019, but no team would be willing to spend that much money on a second-string quarterback when other needs have to filled within the salary cap. 

Although the role and salary will not be ideal for Winston in 2020, he could improve his future stock by shining in a backup role, if his name is called in a similar situation to Ryan Tannehill with the Tennessee Titans.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90

Statistics obtained from Pro Football Reference 

Contract information from Spotrac