Jameis Winston is without a team as an NFL free agent after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers decided to sign former New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady instead of bringing back the 2015 No. 1 overall draft pick.
Winston spent five seasons with the Buccaneers. His tenure in Tampa Bay ended in disappointing fashion and without any playoff success, but he doesn't seem too upset about the situation.
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The 26-year-old quarterback did an interview Wednesday on FOX News and talked publicly for the first time about being replaced by Brady as the Bucs' starting quarterback.
"One thing you can learn about me is my faith," Winston said. "I have tremendous faith in my lord and one thing about Tom Brady is it's understood that he is the G.O.A.T. For you to get replaced by Tom Brady in a city that you love so much, I guess that's kudos to me."
"But at the end of the day, it's a competitive sport. We're all in the business. I'm excited for whatever opportunity may hold and eventually I'm going to have to play the Tom Brady's, the Patrick Mahomes's and all the other great quarterbacks eventually. That's how you win Super Bowls and that's what I want."
Kudos to me? That's certainly an interesting way to think about the situation, but you have to respect the positivity he has during a difficult time in his career. In fairness to Winston, there are far worse quarterbacks to be replaced by, and Brady is the greatest QB of all-time as a six-time Super Bowl champion.
Winston's future is uncertain with free agency almost a month old. He still is a really talented player and deserves a chance to compete for a starting job next season, but he might ultimately have to settle for a backup role.