Winning Without Antoine Winfield, Jr.
January 6th, 2025
Imagine if Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht didn’t re-sign safety Antoine Winfield in March, when Licht made Winfield the highest paid defensive back in NFL history.
There would have been a ton of outrage, as well as some applause. A faction of Bucs fans believe no safety is worth a massive investment.
Fast-forward to the 2024 season and Winfield hurt is foot in Week 1. Then he missed several games, didn’t seem the same when he played and subsequently hurt his knee.
In total, the Bucs’ ultimate playmaker of 2023 skipped eight games and finished the regular season without a making many plays. Heck, he wasn’t even on the field for the Bucs’ shining upsets of the Lions and Chargers.
This would have been unthinkable a year ago.
So Joe thinks it’s fair to say the Bucs won 10 games this season without Winfield — at least the Winfield fans were used to. Overall, the Bucs were 5-3 without him.
A Todd Bowles loyalist could argue the head coach lost his best player on defense and offense (Chris Godwin) and still brought home 10 wins and a division crown by a two-game margin. Impressive.
Regardless, the Bucs winning without Winfield has Joe extra excited for what lies ahead next season for the Tampa Bay defense.
January 6th, 2025 at 3:10 pm
Winfield’s coverage was awful this year. I think he’s playing on a torn or fractured lisfranc injury. It happened to him back in 18 too. Hope he’s better but I doubt he’s 100%. Won’t be until after the season.
January 6th, 2025 at 3:11 pm
Yup and that money could have went to a dominant edge rusher instead… Which surely would have helped against BAL, SF, ATL, DAL, etc…
I love Winfield, but that’s a lot of money for a safety. Especially when despite have a good season statistically in 2023, there were still a number of times over multiple games when Winfield (along with others) were completely turned around and out of position in our secondary…
January 6th, 2025 at 3:13 pm
Love Winfield, but I’m not sure he’s worth the price of admission.
It would be very hard to duplicate his 2023 season.
Hope he balls out in 2025 and beyond.
January 6th, 2025 at 3:21 pm
Doesn’t seem he is playing Sunday wish Izien could play too
January 6th, 2025 at 3:23 pm
Top rated offense carried a low performing defense.
It really is that simple.
January 6th, 2025 at 3:25 pm
Under normal circumstances, I would be part of the faction of Bucs fans who believe that safety should not be a high pay out position. That being said, Winfield is a special player and person, and I am glad that GM Licht made the deal. I imagine that the GM will renegotiate his contract to become more cap friendly. And, we can’t forget that the offense achieved what it did without Chris Godwin. The players are stepping up the best that they can!
January 6th, 2025 at 3:29 pm
Winfield is worth his salary. When healthy last year he carried 2 wins on his own and put this team in the playoffs. This is probably a 12 win team on some of those close games with a healthy Winfield. He is a game changer. A lot like Troy Polamalu was with Pittsburgh. Winfield will get healthy again and change many more games as a Buc.
January 6th, 2025 at 3:35 pm
Lets not get ahead of ourselves. AW31 was instrumental in the locker room, film room, sidelines, etc. I’m sure. Also, the D backfield without Winfield WHEN he played would have been down an additional DB and in case we forget….we signed Ryan Neal so…we needed EVERY DB rep we got from AW31 even though it was for fewer games then we expected.
I suspect we will be without JW3 next year so we needed to resign AW31.
January 6th, 2025 at 3:37 pm
If you can walk ,, suit up on Sunday night
January 6th, 2025 at 3:55 pm
People bashing Winfield are literally some of the dumbest people on earth.
You’re not going to be playing 3rd and 4th string backups every week, you dummies.
January 6th, 2025 at 3:59 pm
He regressed, many on here predicted Mayfield would, but it was Winfield.
January 6th, 2025 at 4:00 pm
Who is the edge rusher you would have signed then? Show me who it was?
AW is a baller and all pro, he made so many plays for us in 2023 and Todd’s D relies on safties. Every week the dude makes game changing plays. You don’t think it’s driving him nuts not playing?
January 6th, 2025 at 4:03 pm
Winfield did not regress. He got hurt. There is a major difference.
I agree completely with Mr. Editor and Hot Rod Munch!
January 6th, 2025 at 4:09 pm
You don’t pay players for what they’ve done, you pay them for what they’re going to do going forward. I wouldn’t have made an undersized, slow safety the highest paid DB in the league. Winfield had a great year in 23, he’ll never be that good again. I’d bet he’ll never make it through a whole season again. Hope I’m wrong, but doubt he lives up to his pay grade going forward. If Licht could trade him he should, but I doubt he’d find some team willing to do it.
January 6th, 2025 at 4:10 pm
I think we should trade him for a 1st round pick
January 6th, 2025 at 4:11 pm
AW3 was hurt all year, even when he played. If he manages to get into a playoff game, it will be like his first game of the year again – very rusty. That’s why I think Dean is most important, he’s not great, but way better than Hayes…
January 6th, 2025 at 4:30 pm
@JimBob – I can see why you’d say that..BUT let me interject this…. without JW3, communication in the defensive backfield is lacking. AW31 shores that up tremendously. Dean doesn’t manage communication from the CB spot. I think Dean is more vital IF/WHEN we go on the road to face the Eagles, BUT for this weekend AW31 is most important IMO because of that communication and we can’t afford to get down 10pts by halftime. The D HAS to be effective from 1Q to 4Q.
I believe we’ll score on the Commanders D….I do NOT think we’ll score 40pts. Dan Quinn is good and they’ve seen us before. Granted, not with Bucky as RB1 and emergence of JMac. But the Commanders D will challenge us. Our D HAS to keep them in check.
January 6th, 2025 at 4:32 pm
I don’t understand How anyone could really doubt Antoine Winfield this guy saves our asses on multiple plays for multiple years he gets hurt at the beginning of this year. It’s regression. He sucks. You guys must be smoking crack for real l winfield is a game changer a wrecking ball all around best football player on defense.
January 6th, 2025 at 4:51 pm
JimBobBuc, you criticize AWJ for being hurt all year and then follow it up with saying Dean is more important, the guy who literally cannot stay healthy and has been exposed time and time again in his zone coverage. Interesting analysis.
January 6th, 2025 at 4:55 pm
Winfield will be back just fine, at the very least for 2025. He’s still young and injuries derailed this season for him. Baker should teach us all a lesson about giving up on guys who were playing through injury or not available for a bit because of it.
Small and slower… maybe… but hard to sell me on that considering the year he had in 2023. Slow players don’t impact games like that.
I, thankfully, don’t hear anymore griping about Kancey, although seems like he had a rough game Sunday.
January 6th, 2025 at 4:58 pm
Save him for the Super Bowl.
January 6th, 2025 at 4:59 pm
Listen, if he was practicing last week on a limited basis and didn’t make it, he definitely is going to suit up. This is an important game. So it shouldn’t be any excuses. Were in the playoffs for Christ sake grow a set like baker.
January 6th, 2025 at 5:32 pm
Winfield never got better. He sure as hell wasn’t coasting. Back at 100 percent next year.
January 6th, 2025 at 5:45 pm
So lucky to have a coach that can hold it all together cause not many in the NFL would have
January 6th, 2025 at 6:10 pm
Street
It does not matter if hurt or not, you pay players to produce and at the end of year did the production REGRESS OR PROGRESS. Please look up definitions and Winfield regressed. No other way to look at it.
January 6th, 2025 at 6:26 pm
Rod munch calling people dummies is the same special kind of retard that beats off to Jameis Winston. “Can’t play with 3rd stringers every week.” Oh really? So I guess pretty much every week this year doesn’t count or something. Because that’s exactly what’s happened this yr and Antoine Winfield isn’t above being scrutinized. He hasn’t been available, and he’s played bad in the very limited snaps he has played – this is not a subjective take. It is factual. Sorry if this is an affront to your sensibilities
January 6th, 2025 at 7:06 pm
No bro, its really not that simple.
January 6th, 2025 at 7:07 pm
Listen, football is a game of context. Players deal with circumstances that can influence production—injuries, schemes, roles, and even the team around them.
When someone makes a simple statement that Winfield regressed, they are showing that they are not good at football context.
Now, if you say Winfield regressed, they also need to ask why. Was he healthy enough to perform at his peak? If you think he was and then underperformed, then make a point about that.
People act like football’s a video game—you just hit reset and your guy’s back to 100%. Newsflash: in real life, your body keeps the receipts!
How about this: before running your mouth about regression, try “running” a with a guy on a post route with either your ankle or knee screaming in pain. Then tell me how your production is doing!
January 6th, 2025 at 7:25 pm
Typical. He got paid and is now often hurt
January 6th, 2025 at 7:33 pm
If he’s not 100% he’s not playing. They have way to much invested in him!
January 6th, 2025 at 7:55 pm
Anyone know the specific’s of AWIII’s knee injury? When he first hurt it they said 2-4 weeks. That was 6 weeks ago.
January 6th, 2025 at 9:42 pm
Winfield has been terrible this year!
January 6th, 2025 at 9:53 pm
Those are some wild takes, Winfield is a stud so glad he is on this team can’t wait until he is back 100 percent he is a difference maker for sure. Go bucs.
January 6th, 2025 at 10:42 pm
Not worth the salary. And he’s like Kancey. Maybe plays half the season. Bucs. Ojos have invested in another db and edge for his salary.
January 6th, 2025 at 10:49 pm
It really doesn’t matter how much of a stud, difference maker, or game changer a player is when they’re sitting at home.
AWJ is amazing when healthy (see 2023 season). Unfortunately, he has had an injury designation 24 games since 2021. That’s not healthy 37.5 % over the last 4 seasons. Of those designations, OUT 13 games. He’s missed 20% of possible games over that time. Now you tell me… if you miss 20% on an exam, should you earn valedictorian honors ( i.e. highest paid DB) with an 80%??
January 6th, 2025 at 10:52 pm
For some perspective….over the same period, jamal Dean has had 22 injury designation and missed 10 games
January 6th, 2025 at 10:56 pm
^^20 designations for Dean*
January 6th, 2025 at 11:08 pm
Overpaid the rest of his career.
January 7th, 2025 at 1:01 am
Yeah, 💯. That’s a shame. That’s TWO “All-PRO” Players (one on each side of the ball) we are withOUT. That Sucks. CG was in the midst of an ALL. PRO. SEASON. That’s TOUGH. Both, fan favorites, too!!!! Here’s hoping for some much better luck for next season.
January 7th, 2025 at 8:06 am
Highest paid in nfl history ? This guy is not Deion sanders -Got paid and can’t stay on the field- very disappointing year
January 7th, 2025 at 8:59 am
As much as others are giving him the benefit of the doubt regarding injury, I’m not as warm to this. Most players are banged up and still need to find a way to peform. Unless something is brought to light about his subpar season regarding injury, my thoughts are he got paid and F’d off. Does the deal have incentives because that may have kept him somewhat honest? I don’t like the mentality and effort this season As much as I like Winfield, Licht should remind him that his stats could get him cut being the highest paid safety if he doesnt perform better next season. We do not need another Devin White level drop in play.
January 7th, 2025 at 9:08 am
Because Bowles is a GREAT coach you morons!
I wish Joe would publish a list of every moron who called for Bowles to be fired.
Make a “dunce list” of all the morons who wanted to fire the NFL Coach of the year!
NFC South Champs! Again!
All the Bowles haters are CHUMPS!
Go “cheer” for another team you losers!
January 7th, 2025 at 9:15 am
People Fake ASS HELL!!!
January 7th, 2025 at 9:47 am
I agree Joe. Two years ago I thought it would take us 2-3 years to get back to the playoffs as we had cap issues and need to build back up. Here we are in the playoffs after being written off because of Kirk freaking Cousins joining the Falcons. Next year with cap room we can address the defense and I’m excited to see that and Winfield back. I remember when Winfield played his rookie year and you knew he was going to be special. Still love the Tyreek Hill peace sign in the Super Bowl. He has been great each year and got better. The foot and knee have impacted him and the timing is a dreaded classic coincidence of “player gets big contract and then gets hurt.” Sucks to see but all we can do is hope he heals and comes back with a vengeance. Winfield and Godwin are sorely missed for their leadership, talent and passion. Excited for the draft and FA and next year.
January 7th, 2025 at 12:05 pm
I like Winfield. However, he was franchise tagged and we didn’t need to give him an extension when we did. Of Evan, Winfield or Winfield, we all would agree he would be the first to let walk. Yet, Light and Bowles gave this average safety elite money.
To get elite players money, you must make others around you better. His contract is an albatross that will replace the dump Davis and Dean deals.
The only way to fix this is to trade him so that we can afford a 1st or an ILB, pickup 2 VFR ILB, 2nd round corner to start, and draft a 6 ft 2 220 safety that can tackle. We have too many small safeties and our ILB are either too old or not good enough to start.
Winfield is good, not great.
January 7th, 2025 at 1:18 pm
@Geno
This is why you are among my favorite posters.
“Listen, football is a game of context.”
Then you did an excellent job of illustrating your point. Sadly there are a LOT of guys here who do not comprehend or can’t be bothered by things like “context” or “nuance”.
January 7th, 2025 at 4:47 pm
Money would have been better spent on a top tier FA pass rusher that’s for sure.