Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Jameis Winston has sprained ankle

Aug 29, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston (3) drops back against the Cleveland Browns during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. Cleveland Browns defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-7. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

Number one pick Jameis Winston is hobbled by a sprained ankle, but should be 100% for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers opener.

The Tampa Bay Buccanneers plan to be careful with franchise quarterback Jameis Winston currently dealing with a sprained ankle, according to ESPN. While the injury is affecting his play during the preseason, it isn’t expected to result in any lost time when the regular season begins.

Winston has been dealing with the ankle injury since the August 24th match-up with the Cincinnati Bengals, when he rolled it up in the second quarter on a sack by Bengals defensive end Geno Atkins. However, he was back on the field five days later, taking snaps into the third quarter against Cleveland, but completed just six of 15 passes and threw his second interception of training camp.

For his part, Winston is saying all the right things and seems determined to be on the field when the Bucs open their season on September 13th, when we get a match-up of the top two picks of the NFL draft.

"“Pain is temporary,” Winston said. “I really don’t focus on that at all. I played last year at Florida State with a sprained ankle. That’s the least of my worries. My job is to go out there and play quarterback and fight for the team.” (h/t ESPN)"

That may not be the best example to give either. Winston won the Heisman Trophy in 2013, completing 66.9% of his passes for 4,057 yards, 40 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. A year later, and purportedly playing with an ankle injury, Winston completed 65.3% of his passes for 3,907 yards, but watched his touchdowns drop to 25 and his interceptions rise to 18.

Regardless, the Buccaneers are going to afford him every chance to stay on the field and prove that he’s the team’s best quarterback moving forward. That may mean that back-up Mike Glennon will see additional snaps when the team wraps up its preseason schedule against Miami on September 3rd.

Then again, it sounds like the Bucs will have to tear Winston off the field if they want that to happen, something that may be in the best interest of both the young QB and the team long-term.

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