Jameis Winston shows love for Ryan Fitzpatrick in first presser of season

NFL: Jacksonville Jaguars at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Bucs quarterback Jameis Winston joined his teammates for the first time this season on Tuesday, as he was eligible to return from his suspension.

It remained to be seen if he would win the starting job, with Ryan Fitzpatrick keeping the seat warm for him during his absence.

As it turns out, he didn’t. Fitzpatrick was officially named the starter on Wednesday, and Winston will have to ride the pine, for now. A few more Fitzpatrick intercepts could change that in a hurry, though.

Winston spoke to reporters for the first time this season on Wednesday, and he shared how he felt about returning to the field.

“The most important thing is the success we are having,” Winston said, via NFL.com. “I’m just happy to be back, man. I’m happy that I can be a part of that. I’m not watching from a distance. I can be here with my teammates.”

He also praised Fitzpatrick.

“I’ve seen the beards,” Winston said. “When a guy throws for 400 yards three games in a row, you’ve got to love that, and as a community, we’ve gotta get behind this team because when we’re winning, when things are going good, we’ve gotta capitalize on that.”

A 2-1 start has the Bucs in first place in the NFC South. We’ll see how long that lasts. In the meantime, they’re Fitzy’s team, and Winston seems to be aware of that.

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