Impending free agent quarterback Jameis Winston's future with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers may be unclear, but at least his vision isn't. According to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, Winston underwent LASIK surgery this month to repair his eyesight. Winston has apparently been nearsighted since college, and head coach Bruce Arians even commented on it during the final press conference of 2019.
"He can't read the scoreboard but he can see the guys in front of him," Arians said. "So he's alright."
Last week, Winston posted a picture on his Instagram story of him wearing oversized, dark sunglasses -- accompanied with the caption, "They know!!!!"
The word "LASIK" is an acronym for "laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis." The procedure reshapes the cornea to enable light entering the eye to be properly focused onto the retina for clearer vision.
The jokes somewhat write themselves, as Winston is fresh off of the first "30 and 30" season in NFL history, where he threw 33 touchdowns passes -- good for second in the league -- but also 30 interceptions, which led the league.
Winston is now an unrestricted free agent, and the Buccaneers will have to decide if they want to sign him to a lucrative extension or allow the former No. 1 overall pick to hit the open market. The Buccaneers went 7-9 as Winston threw for a career-high and league-leading 5,109 yards. He embodied the term "boom or bust," as there were just as many highlight-reel touchdowns thrown as inexcusable interceptions.
The end of the 2019 season for the Buccaneers was one for the history books. In overtime of the season finale against the Atlanta Falcons, Winston threw a pick-six to lose the game. It was interception No. 30 on the season, which made Winston the first quarterback to finish a season with 30-plus touchdown tosses and 30-plus interceptions.
"It doesn't help, that's for sure," Arians said when asked if Winston's final pick-six hurts his chances at returning next season. "There was a lot of good things, there was a great two-minute drive before the half. There was a lot of things to evaluate, and we'll take our time in evaluating it."
The following Monday, Arians again fielded questions about Winston and his future with the franchise. His comments turned heads.
"(Win) with another quarterback? Oh yeah," Arians said, via Stroud. "If we can win with this one, we can definitely win with another one, too."
This comment may be more of a negotiation tactic, but the Buccaneers do have an interesting decision to make at quarterback this offseason. It appears Winston could be an elite passer if he cuts down on the turnovers, and maybe this LASIK surgery could assist with that.
