The Fitzmagic is back.
Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter announced on Monday that Ryan Fitzpatrick will start at quarterback against the Panthers in Carolina this week. Fitzpatrick, who started the first four games of the season, replaced Jameis Winston in Sunday’s loss to the Bengals.
Winston threw four interceptions, including one that Jessie Bates returned for a touchdown to put the Bengals up 34-19 late in the third quarter. Fitzpatrick led three scoring drives that forced a tie before the Bengals drove for a game-winning field goal at the final whistle.
Koetter said the Bucs are “just looking at this week” when asked about the permanence of this change and that Winston could wind up back in the lineup this season, but it is hard to see much of a future for him in Tampa beyond this year given the way things have played out this season.
As bad as Sunday was, it probably wouldn’t have led to a change if the Buccaneers still saw him as a franchise quarterback. If they don’t, they have to consider the risk that comes with playing him as an injury that keeps Winston from passing a physical early next year would force them to guarantee him more than $20 million in 2019.
What kind of future Koetter and General Manager Jason Licht have is another question the Bucs are going to have to answer sooner rather than later, so there’s much to sort out in Tampa between now and the end of the season.
