Tampa Bay Buccaneers Roster, Injury News 2017: Should Jameis Winston Be Playing Even If Hurt?
Nobody can question Jameis Winston's desire to play football.
The Pro Bowl quarterback has never missed a game since he turned pro in 2015, and he's willing to play through pain to keep that streak alive. But at some point, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will have to wonder if keeping him on the field is the right decision because the acromioclavicular (AC) joint sprain in his right shoulder seems to be bothering him more than he would like to admit.
Winston couldn't prevent the Buccaneers from losing their fourth straight game in a row on Sunday, and after the game, he was the first to admit that he hasn't been playing up to par.
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Bucs coach Dirk Koetter would also disclose that he had considered pulling Winston out of the game in the fourth quarter after the quarterback got hurt, but he decided to let the signal caller play on.
"Jameis did take a shot early in the fourth quarter and he was hurting a little bit after that. I thought he might have to come out, but he stayed in. It was on the first play of a drive and he stayed in and we kept doing and the game flow went. I haven't talked to him since about that," Koetter said after their 17–3 loss to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, via ESPN.
Well, the Bucs actually tried to hide the fact that Winston reinjured his shoulder when they played against the Buffalo Bills on Oct. 22. But in an interview with Sirius XM NFL Radio last Friday, Koetter admitted that the quarterback got hurt again during the game, and he's nursing a bruised deltoid muscle as well.
Winston says his shoulder is fine and he thinks just he needs to play better to help the Buccaneers win. But one has to wonder if the best option here is to rest his shoulder to avoid the risk of further injury.
The third-year pro managed to complete just 21 for 38 passes for 210 yards against the Panthers, and he didn't make a single touchdown pass. His two interceptions were costly as well.
