Jameis Winston Reacts To Facing His Former Team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

For the first time since leaving Tampa Bay in 2019, Jameis Winston will take on his former Buccaneers squad as a starting quarterback.

After he was selected with the No. 1 overall pick in 2015, Winston spent five seasons with the Bucs organization. And while there will certainly be plenty of emotion heading into this upcoming Week 8 matchup, the veteran QB explained that “too much emotion can lead us to a place where we don’t want to go.”

Instead of viewing it as a chance to get back at the team that gave up on him, Winston sees this Sunday’s matchup as “a division opponent that we need to beat.”

“Sure I’m playing against the old squad, but I love this game,” Winston said, per NBC’s ProFootballTalk. “I’m trying to go out there and beat everybody we play, not matter who it is. You talk about growth, I’ve learned in this league, it’s about winning games. Anyway I can do that, win games, I’m up for that and yes this is an opponent where I’ve been there and done that with this team, but I want to win football games and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the next opponent and that’s who we need to beat. It’s good for us that I get to beat an opponent that I played for, but we need to win, that’s it.”

This won’t be the first time Winston has logged time against his former team. During 2020 regular season, the backup to Drew Brees came in and connected on a 12-yard pass. Then in the Saints’ divisional matchup with Tampa Bay, he took over for one play and completed a 56-yard touchdown pass.

In his first season as a full-time starter for New Orleans, Winston has collected 1,114 yards, 13 touchdowns and three interceptions through a 4-2 record.

This Sunday’s matchup with the Bucs will kickoff in the Superdome at 4:25 p.m. ET.

The post Jameis Winston Reacts To Facing His Former Team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers appeared first on The Spun.