Antoine Winfield Contract Called Out As “Player-Friendly”
June 28th, 2025
Antoine Winfield, Jr.
In theory, a team wants to hear how its roster is loaded with “team-friendly” contracts.
The alternative is scary, a bunch of player-friendly deals like the Dolphins and other mismanaged teams have.
Thankfully, the Bucs have a pile of team-friendly contracts on the books. Baker Mayfield’s deal is Exhibit-A. He’s underpaid nearly $20 million a year.
ESPN.com dropped a feature today focused on “team-friendly” contracts and those that are “player-friendly.” They chose one of each at various positions.
Antoine Winfield was given a victory nod at safety.
The deal: Four years, $84.1 million with $45 million fully guaranteed at signing and $45 million in total guarantees
Winfield is the league’s second-highest-paid safety by average annual salary, just slightly behind [Kerby] Joseph. But the rest of the deal is great for Winfield in comparison.
Winfield got a $20 million roster bonus in 2024 and fully guaranteed salaries of $4 million in 2024 and $21 million in 2025. He’s sure to make $45 million over the first two years of the deal and would make $64.5 million over the first three if he stays in Tampa Bay. It’s strong money, given the rest of the safety market.
Winfield had an off-year last season after an All-Pro 2023 campaign. He missed eight games with injuries. So it seems obvious that his decline was because of his foot and knee issues, though Hall of Fame cornerback Rondé Barber said on his WFLA-TV streaming show this week that Winfield underachieved last season “when he was healthy.” And Barber loves saying how he’s an insider who watches all Bucs game film.
Joe can’t be sure of everything that knocked Winfield’s game from consistently spectacular to consistently meh.
If he’s back to form this season, then his contract certainly will be “team-friendly.” That’s how good Winfield was two seasons ago.
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June 28th, 2025 at 6:20 pm
Most dogs are friendly until they bite you. Winfield bit last year. He’s averaged 4 missed games/yr since entering the league. Fingers crossed he’s not trending Dean/Dennis and his fat guarantee seems team friendly by year’s end
June 28th, 2025 at 6:32 pm
A healthy Winfield helps all other secondary players play better and more aggressively because they know Antoine is usually back there as a last line of defense and he won’t miss the tackle if they overplay the ball or miss a tackle….
And more talent surrounding Winfield will also obviously help him be the best player he can be….
If everyone on defense is doing their job properly – Winfield is freed up to take more chances at making a big play instead of being constantly worried about covering for another teammate’s inadequacies…..
June 28th, 2025 at 6:52 pm
I’d give Ronde the nod on knowing more than most. coaching matters, too.
June 28th, 2025 at 7:18 pm
Our safeties were our weakest link last season
They all played poorly, they sucked all season. We even had to bring Ryan Neal and Mike Edwards back to join the suck party. Whitehead was a huge disappointment Winfield was even worse when he was in the game. But this year our pass defense will improve a lot.
June 28th, 2025 at 8:07 pm
Can’t agree with Barber on this one, Winfield was hurt the first game of the year, in his first game back has a fumble recovery for a TD. While I like and respect Ronde’ that “when he was healthy” is an opinion. NO ONE but the player knows how healthy he was and I don’t think coach’s, especially this teams coach’s are going to let info out like that, I would hope not at least. Now maybe it LOOKED that way but if Ronde’ keeps telling everyone how much intel he has he won’t be welcome long around the Palace.
June 28th, 2025 at 8:16 pm
Ronde played injured most of his career. He never used it as an excuse and didn’t show a drop off. That’s probably where he’s coming from. I’d agree with Ronde over non-Ronde.
June 28th, 2025 at 8:39 pm
I didn’t realize the Bucs could get out of his contract after this year. Certainly puts the pressure on Winfield to get back to All-Pro status or he could face a pay cut or be cut.
June 28th, 2025 at 8:45 pm
Scary to think he got paid and went all Jamel Dean.
Hope not.
June 28th, 2025 at 9:36 pm
I didn’t like Winfield’s contract from the start, but I didn’t see how the Bucs could have afforded to let him walk, either.
Ideally, the Bucs would have let Winfield get a little more money if he earned performance bonuses with less guaranteed money. But, someone else would have thrown crazy guaranteed money at him. In 20:20 hindsight,if he had the same kind of season elsewhere, the Bucs would look like geniuses. If he had the kind of season Penn and Bennett had when the Bucs let them walk, we’ll, you know.
June 28th, 2025 at 10:46 pm
He was hurt and y’all are calling him a bust? Get real. Fans!!
June 28th, 2025 at 10:48 pm
Winfield’s 2023 season should have gotten him more defensive player of the year recognition. It was certainly the best season we have ever seen from any Buc in our defensive backfield.
I don’t regret Winfield looking for the contract or the Bucs giving him the contract. I doubt that he will ever be the guy that just packs it in after a contract.
Last year’s production just shows how badly injured that he was.
June 28th, 2025 at 10:54 pm
Only an idiot would read constructive accurate observations about Antoine’s performance dip and saying people are calling him a bust.
Yes he was injured. So was Ronde. With Ronde, we never knew. He found a way to,perform.
Ronde Barber, HOF CB who played safety end of career, made a comment. Worth considering, given what he knows versus others yacking.