Ryan Fitzpatrick's time as starting quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers has run out. After Sunday's embarrassing loss to the Chicago Bears, Bucs head coach Dirk Koetter has announced that Jameis Winston will be the team's starting QB when they take the field again in Week 6 against the division rival Atlanta Falcons.
Fitzpatrick came out of the gates scolding hot this season, throwing for 400+ yards in each of the Bucs' first three games and 11 touchdowns while leading the team to a 2-1 record. However, Fitz threw three interceptions in last Monday's loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers and then completed just nine of 18 passes for 126 yards in the first half against Chicago before he was benched in favor of Winston, who completed 16 of 20 passes for 145 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions in the 48-10 defeat.
"We put Jameis in a terrible situation today, and I told him that," Koetter said, per ESPN. "I told him right off the bat at halftime, that we were putting him in a bad situation. And I knew Jameis would go in and give us everything he had, and he did."
Winston, 24, served a three-game suspension for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy, stemming from a league investigation into accusations that he groped a female Uber driver.
Tampa Bay, 2-2 on the season, has a bye in Week 5 before hitting the road in Week 6 to take on the 1-3 Atlanta Falcons.