3 quarterback pathways for Buccaneers if Tom Brady retires

1. Free Agency: Jameis Winston, Marcus Mariota

There’s a small contingent of people on the Internet who actually believe Jameis Winston is better than Tom Brady. For them, the fact that Winston is a free agent this spring could signal a triumphant return, but it’s virtually impossible to conceptualize.

Winston may be a free agent, but he happens to be at the top of the roster on an NFC team, and not just any NFC team: the New Orleans Saints, the Buccaneers’ most bitter rival.

The rivalry has only gotten worse with Brady in Tampa, with the Saints embarrassing the Buccaneers in the regular season only to have the Bucs kick them out of playoffs twice. With how much New Orleans savored seeing Winston score against them in last year’s Divisional Round, it’s difficult to imagine them letting him go.

Aside from the enmity, Jameis Winston also remains the Drew Brees succession plan in New Orleans. It was Tampa, after all, who cut Winston and wanted nothing to do with him after five lackluster seasons. It’s hard to imagine Jameis Winston signing with a team unwilling to give him another chance, and it’s hard to imagine the Buccaneers changing their mind on Winston, valuing him, and paying him what he likely wants as a free agent — especially when there are so many other areas of need.

What can be said for a Jameis Winston signing is familiarity, although it may not be the right kind either party would want in a happy free agent signing. If the Bucs do explore the free agency door beyond Winston, they could find an available Marcus Mariota who is sitting at backup on the Las Vegas Raiders.

Sure, Mariota was unseated by Ryan Tannehill and hasn’t been good enough to unseat Derek Carr, but if he comes at a discount, he is a vast upgrade compared to all other available free agents.