One year ago, Tampa Bay Buccaneers free safety Antoine Winfield Jr. was sitting on the top of the world.
Already a Super Bowl champion as a rookie, Winfield was coming off his first NFL All-Pro season in 2023 and had just signed a 4-year, $84.1 million contract extension — at the time the largest contract for a defensive back in NFL history.
What a difference one year makes.
Winfield is no longer held in the same esteem as he was once held after missing a career high 8 games due to injuries in 2024 and watching Tampa Bay’s secondary get shredded without him. More than that, even when he was on the field, Winfield never seemed like he was the dynamic playmaker he’s been in the past.
Now, Winfield seems like he’s on the warpath at the start of training camp as he tries to re-establish himself as the NFL’s best safety and lift his team to the postseason for the sixth consecutive season.
“Winfield Jr. continues to have an outstanding start to camp,” ESPN’s Jenna Laine wrote on July 25. “In addition to his two interceptions from Day 1, he had a would-be sack on a blitz that got the crowd riled up. He spent much of the 2024 dealing with injuries.”
Winfield Took Sharp Fall in Preseason Rankings
ESPN’s annual Top 10 position rankings dropped Winfield from No. 1 at his position in 2024 to No. 7 in 2025. One voter even left Winfield off the rankings altogether.
Baltimore Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton took over the No. 1 spot from Winfield.
“Injuries held Winfield to nine games, and he never got in a rhythm of disrupting the football,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote on July 10. “He finished the season with zero interceptions, 3 pass deflections, 2 sacks and zero forced fumbles. That was a big drop from 2023, when he recorded 6 sacks, 6 forced fumbles, 4 fumble recoveries and 3 interceptions … Voters are largely willing to give Winfield a pass for last year. After all, he is still in his prime.”
Buccaneers Struggled Mightily Without Winfield
After the Buccaneers secondary was shredded without him in 2024, you can make an argument Winfield is the most important player on the defense.
Tampa Bay ranked 30th in the NFL in pass defense in 2024, giving up 262.5 passing yards per game and 27 passing touchdowns. Never were those struggles more on display than in a 36-30 overtime loss to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 5 in which quarterback Kirk Cousins set a franchise record with 509 passing yards and 4 touchdowns with Winfield forced to watch the game from the sidelines.
Winfield returns in 2025 with several new faces in the secondary that could make an impact early and will need his guidance. Tampa Bay picked cornerbacks with consecutive picks with Notre Dame’s Benjamin Morrison in the second round and Kansas State’s Jacob Parrish in the third round.
Morrison is currently listed as the backup to Jamel Dean, but Parrish could very well become the starter at nickelback as last year’s starter, Tykee Smith, appears to be in line to start over Christian Izien at the strong safety spot opposite Winfield.
