Jameis Winston Rumors: Latest Free-Agent Buzz on Chargers, Redskins

The prospect of Jameis Winston starting Week 1 of the 2020 NFL regular season is slim at best. 

The free-agent quarterback was left without a team when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed Tom Brady, and he is stuck on a market with little interest in starters at the position. 

Even the teams that could have openings have turned away from Winston since his spot on the market was confirmed last week.

In an appearance on ESPN's Get Up!, Adam Schefter conveyed the lack of interest from the Los Angeles Chargers (h/t Bleacher Report's Scott Polacek):

"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." 

The Chargers will have a new starter in 2020 after Philip Rivers signed for the Indianapolis Colts, but they are in a good position with Tyrod Taylor on the roster and the No. 6 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft in hand.

Taylor spent three seasons as the starter for the Buffalo Bills. During that span, he had a pair of 3,000-yard campaigns.

The Chargers could add either Tua Tagovailoa or Justin Herbert in the draft to provide competition for Taylor at a much cheaper price than Winston.

Winston made $20.9 million in 2019, and he could demand a price similar to what Marcus Mariota landed with the Las Vegas Raiders. According to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo, that deal is worth $17.6 million over two years, with $7.5 million in guaranteed base salary in 2020.

The Chargers are scheduled to pay Taylor $7.5 million in 2020, and if they take a quarterback in the first round, they would be in a good position heading into the season. 

ESPN.com's John Keim also ruled out the Washington Redskins as a landing spot for Winston. That report came before the Redskins acquired Kyle Allen from the Carolina Panthers in exchange for a fifth-round pick Monday, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

The addition of Allen allows the Redskins to have a safety net behind 2019 first-round pick Dwayne Haskins in case he fails to win the starting job. It is also an inexpensive transaction compared to either Winston or Cam Newton, as Allen is scheduled to make $675,000 in 2020.

With Los Angeles and Washington off the board as potential new homes, Winston has few options in front of him, and all of them appear to have a starter in place. 

The Pittsburgh Steelers could consider him as a backup to Ben Roethlisberger, and the Jacksonville Jaguars might be intrigued if they want support behind Gardner Minshew II.

However, those teams have not been significantly linked with Winston, and with little movement on his market, his free agency could stretch out a few weeks before he discovers the best fit.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90

Statistics obtained from Pro Football Reference

Contract information obtained from Spotrac