Tony Dungy: Jameis Winston, Peyton Manning Similar Through First 5 Seasons

Jameis Winston apparently isn't that far off from being a young version of Peyton Manning.

At least in Tony Dungy's eyes.

The former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Indianapolis Colts head coach appeared on Monday's episode of the Dan Patrick Show and said he would take Winston over Cam Newton at this point in their respective careers while making the comparison.

"You look at Jameis' numbers and Peyton Manning's numbers in those first five years, there's not a lot of difference other than Peyton's team won more," Dungy said.

Of course, winning more is anything but a small detail.

While Manning did lead the league with 28 interceptions as a rookie in 1998, he also led the Colts to the playoffs in three of his first five seasons. He ended his career as one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history who won two Super Bowls.

By comparison, Winston's Buccaneers were 28-42 in his 70 starts and never went to the playoffs. What's more, he led the league with 30 interceptions in his fifth year not his first and is trending in the wrong direction when it comes to turnovers as he garners more experience.

There is plenty to like about Winston, who has a strong arm and led the NFL with 5,109 passing yards last year, but he is a far cry from Manning at this point in his career.

That is a major reason he is still searching for a team and may not land a starting job for 2020.