Antoine Winfield Doesn’t Want To Hide Behind Injuries
June 4th, 2025
Turns the page.
Man, Antoine Winfield’s 2024 season was about as big of a disaster as an NFL player could have short of a catastrophic injury.
Coming off a Pro Bowl season and signing a big fat check, he had reached a dream. Super Bowl champion. All-Pro. Generational wealth.
Then, very late in the season opener against the Commandos, Winfield got hurt. He missed the next four games with a bum foot. Joe doesn’t think he even came close to recovering fully.
Bucs coach Todd Bowles has said several times since that Winfield playing at a shockingly low level was all due to injuries and nothing more.
Winfield, by all appearances, is a stand-up guy and whenever he’s around a football field, you can’t wipe the smile off his face. But last year, he didn’t have that same boyish enthusiasm. Joe wouldn’t either if Joe was always hurt.
Yesterday, Joe asked Winfield several questions about his injuries. He didn’t want to talk about them. But Winfield is a pro. He answered questions and refused to duck behind the shield of injuries for not playing close to his All-Pro standard.
“I feel like the injuries that I had, there was nothing really you could do to prepare for them,” Winfield said. “It kind of just happened, because those injuries, no matter how much you prepare or do treatment and things like that, it kind of just happened.
“So, just hope I don’t get put in those positions again, that’s that’s only way.”
Joe asked Winfield if, after he got injured in Week 1, if he was ever 100 percent. He said no, but that’s life in the NFL.
“Nobody is ever 100 percent throughout the season,” Winfield said. “So you know, [2024 was] one of those years where you get banged up.
“I can’t say that just because I was unhealthy that first game that it carried over. It’s football. It’s part of the game.”
“Everybody’s unhealthy.”
When Winfield was on the field, he didn’t look like nearly the same player. In fact, Joe thought if Winfield was that hurt, he shouldn’t have been on the field. But, Winfield is a warrior. And when Joe asked Winfield how much his injuries dragged down his play, Joe could tell Winfield was just about done talking injuries.
“Just as [much as] any other normal injury would drag anybody else down,” Winfield said. “I don’t see it as, ‘Oh, just because I was injured… ‘
“I mean that’s part of the game, it happens.”
When folks point to how bad the Bucs pass defense was up the middle in the second- and third-levels last year, Winfield’s injuries were a major cause.
Bowles seems to think Winfield is looking like the old Winfield thus far in underwear football.
“He’s been great,” Bowles said. “I mean, he looks like he’s in great shape. He’s been here almost every day.
“He puts in the work, he puts in the time, and I like where he’s at right now.”
Hopefully, Winfield and the Bucs can find a way to keep him healthy. The Bucs need Winfield at his best if they hope to make any sort of deep playoff run this winter.
June 4th, 2025 at 7:09 am
Winfield MUST return to form or it will be a very long year for the D.
June 4th, 2025 at 8:48 am
Joe, did you see that Jihaad Campbell won’t practice until August? Sounds like the Bucs wanted someone who could provide for them right now. Seems like he probably wouldn’t be game ready till the end of the season even if we drafted him. I think we dodged a bullet.
June 4th, 2025 at 9:59 am
Yeah, with that Eagles D-line, they can afford to wait on Campbell. We couldn’t.
June 4th, 2025 at 10:10 am
The 29th ranked Pass Defense was the reason this team faltered last year. With an improved Pass Rush and a secondary with more talent things cant help but improve. Go Bucs!!!
June 4th, 2025 at 10:26 am
but but but i thought we would be in the super bowl if it wasnt for injuries says so many JBF posters!!!
but but but we would have been 4-0 when evans and godwin got hurt not 0-4 says so many JBF posters!!!
thank you AWjr for keeping it real. every team has injuries. everyone gets hurt.
June 4th, 2025 at 10:36 am
Nobody mentions how AWJ shouldn’t have been on the field at the end of that opening day blowout just like Godwin shouldn’t have been on the field at the end of the Ravens game. Piss poor decisions that dramatically affected our season.
June 4th, 2025 at 10:53 am
It was a lack of depth that hurt BECAUSE of injuries, no way around it, he just doesn’t want to talk about it. It wasn’t a minor injury, those are different, a hand injury depending on position and extent is a little easier to deal with not a leg or a foot, common sense should tell one that. Again injuries and turnovers are major reasons for team failure.
June 4th, 2025 at 10:58 am
Powderpuffs take note. Injury excuses are for losers.
June 4th, 2025 at 11:10 am
Last year is over. Play better this year.
June 4th, 2025 at 11:25 am
Almost every player that deals with injuries has a down year statistically.
We can overcome that with depth.
Safties look way better than D Line.
If Wirfs or Vea go down, it’s much worse IMO.
Still hoping we get Winfield back and I think the real one is what we get.
June 4th, 2025 at 12:59 pm
Joe heard back in March this guy was damaged goods. That’s why you didn’t see a lot of Jihaad Campbell stories in the immediate weeks before the draft.
(If one pays keenly close attention to what Joe types/doesn’t type, it’s a tip off. Ahem.)
June 4th, 2025 at 1:20 pm
Like the first poster said AW3 must return to 2023 form if we’re to compete for a SB.
June 4th, 2025 at 2:14 pm
Aqualung Says:
June 4th, 2025 at 10:58 am
Powderpuffs take note. Injury excuses are for losers.
Definitely not a troll post 🤣
June 4th, 2025 at 2:30 pm
I most definitely hope AWJ returns to form. Without significantly improved safety play (along with CBs and LBs) we’re skrewed.
I like Tykee back there with AWJ…. Roberts and/or Sanders developing into decent NFL safeties would be a big bonus but I suspect that might take awhile.
June 4th, 2025 at 2:36 pm
He sure takes his time gettin well– just sayin
June 4th, 2025 at 4:26 pm
Antoine Winfield … .“So, just hope I don’t get put in those positions again, that’s that’s only way.”
The reality IMO is that some injuries you can play with and still be effective, while some other injuries will bite you in the butt if you try to play through them. I’m convinced that’s what happened to BOTH Winfield AND Dean last season. It’s obvious to me from his statement that Winfield recognizes that.
Antoine had a monstrous 2023 season, and I personally doubt he’ll be able to duplicate that ever again (not sure that ANY safety has ever had a better season). Played in all 17 games (1100 def snaps), and produced 6 sacks plus 8 QB Hits, 3 INTs, 6 TFLs, 6 Forced Fumbles, 4 Fumble Recoveries, 122 tackles (76 solo). That’s monstrous.
Last season was an abomination IMO because of him trying to play injured. Disregard 2024 and Winfield has averaged 15 games per season, 4 sacks plus 5 QB Hits per year, 2 INTs/4 TFLs/3 FF/2 FR per year, plus 96 tackles (67 solo) per year average. I’d be ecstatic to see Antoine be able to give us that level of production in 2025.
June 4th, 2025 at 5:25 pm
Hey DR,
Go back and look at all the illegal hits, etc. the Bucs have dealt with in their franchise history. I’m not into statistics, but I’ve followed the team for a long time. They have won 2 SBs decisively. That’s more than any other team can claim in their division. Get Vegas out of the equation so we can watch actual uncorrupted FB again.
June 4th, 2025 at 6:50 pm
Orlbucfan … Not the foggiest idea what point you’re trying to make. What does ‘Vegas’ have to do with Winfield’s injuries?
June 4th, 2025 at 8:25 pm
I’m glad to see AWJr have the acknowledgement regarding injuries impacting his quality of play. The few games he played, there were missed tackles and overall unimpactful mediocre play from him right after he became the highest paid DB in the league. He has to follow it up with high level play this season, starting with being healthy and available and being impactful. Our secondary was also so bad in so many games that there was simply no hope for our few playmakers.
June 5th, 2025 at 12:07 am
We should all be ecstatic if Antoine simply performs to his career averages. Right on, DR.
June 5th, 2025 at 3:56 am
We’re gonna resign Dwight Smith & Dexter Jackson.
June 5th, 2025 at 5:42 am
throw in kj britt and chris braswell, jts and a line that couldn’t pressure and it’s amazing we stopped anyone