“Frustrating” Season For Antoine Winfield, Jr.
June 9th, 2026
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BY IRA KAUFMAN
Antoine Winfield Jr. set a ridiculously high standard for himself in 2023. a peak he’s been trying to live up to with mixed results.
Winfield turns 28 in August and the veteran safety has proven to be a sublime second-round pick by Jason Licht in 2020, the same year Tristan Wirfs arrived at One Buc Place. As rookies, they helped lead Tampa Bay to a championship and they’re still key contributors six years later.
It was Winfield who authored the second-most critical play in Buc history, behind only Ronde Barber’s 92-yard interception return at Philadelphia that clinched the NFC title game for the 2002 club. During Tampa Bay’s 2020 title run, Winfield jarred the ball loose from tight end Jared Cook after a reception in New Orleans. triggering a third-quarter playoff comeback just when it appeared Drew Brees had the lead and the momentum.
That key turnover was a taste of things to come.
Winfield’s fourth season was a revelation as he earned first-team All-Pro honors with three interceptions, six forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, six sacks and 122 tackles. That startling production prompted the Bucs to make him the NFL’s highest-paid defensive back.
“It’s hard to express what a player like Antoine Winfield Jr. means to our team,” Todd Bowles said in celebrating the record-setting contract. “He’s a dynamic player whose presence elevates our team every day and whose work ethic inspires those around him. Between his football IQ, his leadership and his relentless drive, he sets the standard for what it means to be a Buccaneer.”
Antoine Winfield, Jr.
Now Winfield finds himself the mentor for a young secondary, surrounded by Tykee Smith, Jacob Parrish and Benjamin Morrison. He is determined to recapture his All-Pro form and erase the memories of last year’s post-bye collapse.
“That was the first time since I’ve been here that we didn’t make it to the playoffs,” Winfield says. “It was frustrating, I’m not going to lie. Knowing that, it’s always in the back of my mind. I come out here, I do my job, I work hard and I try to get the guys to follow. I felt like I played OK last year. I feel like I could have had a better year — I missed a few opportunities.”
In the past two seasons, Winfield hasn’t been able to match his flair for the kind of highlight plays that turn games around, registering two picks, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, three sacks and 153 stops. He was solid, but not spectacular, in 2025 and it didn’t help when two potential defensive touchdowns were wiped out by official calls in a 23-3 victory at New Orleans.
This year’s team could feature five new defensive starters, an overhaul that already has Winfield’s attention.
“I’m excited watching the guys flying around,” he says. “I think the biggest thing that’s been different is the energy. It’s been like that every day defensively that we’ve been out here. I don’t know whether that’s bringing in new guys or new coaches.”
Tim Atkins, who followed Bowles from the Jets to the Bucs in 2019, has been promoted to safeties coach.
“Tim’s been around,” says Winfield. “He’s a great guy who is locking in on the little things we can do better. It’s his room now. He’s been with us, but it’s his room now.”
According to Bowles, Winfield’s meager numbers the past two seasons are misleading. He praised Winfield’s play often last year, lauding his leadership skills and knowledge of the game.
For his part, Winfield is well aware of the extent of fan backlash against Bowles, particularly in the aftermath of an 8-9 season.
“Coach Bowles is the same exact guy he’s always been,” says Winfield. “He has played the game, he understands the game and he understands the outside world of placing blame and people being fair weather. That’s the job that comes with being the top guy. You get the credit — and you also get criticized the most.”
The departure of Jamel Dean leaves Winfield as the old man of the secondary. He likes what he sees from a couple of second-year players seeking to make a bigger impact.
“Parrish was a heck of a player last year and he’s only going to get better,” he says. “I’m looking for Morrison to be more comfortable and confident this year. He has everything you would want out of a corner.”
What about Smith?
“As for Tykee,” Winfield says, “I’d describe him to you this way … he’s a player.”
June 9th, 2026 at 8:44 am
Perhaps part of his struggles are tied to a wide open soft as butter pee wee league caliber Swiss cheese defensive passing scheme of Todd Bowles???
A real DC would put his players in position to succeed. Not just stubbornly employ the same strategy despite terrible results.
I’m willing to gamble that with better coaching we would have actual success beyond just barely winning a lousy division.
Bowles is a relic from a bygone era and it’s past time we move on.
Fail to prepare, then you prepare to fail.
June 9th, 2026 at 8:53 am
GO BUCS
June 9th, 2026 at 9:00 am
I’m really hoping his lack of production is injury-related. The alternative is he’s only interested in the payday. I want to give him the benefit of the doubt, but he is not passing the eye test for me.
June 9th, 2026 at 9:02 am
As Always Ira great stuff. I thought the article ended short , unexpectedly.
I as many Buc fans definately wondered about Winfield last year. It seemed he just disappeared. I mean often you really did not even know he was in the game. It seemed no one talked much about his play. Yes you and JoeBucs fan did say a few times where the heck is Winfield. It was great to get his spin on his year as not being all that.
I often thought he was just being under utilized. I mean we all saw the secondary. McColumn was lost most of the time. Dean was great, after that the whole secondary was just it seems lost.
I hope he has a great year. He needs it the team needs it. Hopefully Scott , Smith and Winfield made a great tandem, because, McColumn and Morrison scare me, especially McColumn, whom I think is a huge libility.
June 9th, 2026 at 9:06 am
Winfields’ strongest play is when he is approaching the receiver and breaking up the pass or stripping the ball out , but unfortunately his weakness is determining where the oncoming receiver is going and staying with him when the play is not in front of him. Winfield gets beat over the top far too many times. The PFF analysis bears this out.
June 9th, 2026 at 9:10 am
Well, we need all the “players” we can get. Let’s hope Winfield returns to his old form this year, a difference maker!
June 9th, 2026 at 9:18 am
Go Bucs!!
June 9th, 2026 at 9:49 am
I wonder if he’s bored in the defense. He was so quiet last season I almost forgot he was on the team. I’m eager to see what he’d look like under a new DC. The best is yet to come with AW.
June 9th, 2026 at 10:10 am
I’m optimistic that collective new energy swells and carries through the season restoring the Tampa Bay [glory days] standard on defense.
June 9th, 2026 at 10:26 am
I’m sure hoping all these new players helps rejuvenate this defense. Quite honestly, they all pretty much just quit last year. Was that on the players or the coaches or both? I don’t know. The past is gone. What will we do this year?
June 9th, 2026 at 11:02 am
3rd and 28
4th and 14
2-7
61-74
1-3
All those numbers are directly correlated to the poor coaching Todd Twocoach conducts with offense, defense, and special teams. All three phases contributed to the Big Suck. There’s only one guy who touches all three phases, and he’s still a Bucs employee.
I’m with you, Mike. Jamel. Rachaad. Logan. Christian.
This train is about to slam into the side of a mountain, but at least it won’t be going very fast.
June 9th, 2026 at 11:05 am
Winfields poor play last season was due to injuries…no different than the baker excuse lol
GO BUCS!!!!
June 9th, 2026 at 11:17 am
Corners can play more aggressive if the pass rush is getting home.
June 9th, 2026 at 11:24 am
Right on 3.28 Evans
June 9th, 2026 at 12:00 pm
Wahhh wahhh wahhh the billionaires didn’t care that some of the fans wanted to let Bowles go. Just shut up about it already good god. Like we get it you don’t like Bowles, bunch of cry baby’s throwing temper tantrum cause Johnny dishwasher or Billy the bartender said Bowles has to go. I’m not excited Bowles is still here but I also don’t own the team so I’m not crying about something I have no control over.
June 9th, 2026 at 12:38 pm
People who bag on Winfield are a particular kind of stupid.
Winfield’s problems last year were scheme based. Again, ALL22 is your friend. Go watch it, and what you’d see, repeatedly, is Winfield literally being told to line up 30 yards down the field (literally 30 yards, I’m not kidding), and then just stand around and wait for things to happen. If you think Winfield was doing that by choice, you’re nuts. It’s just Bowles stupid version of zone where he wants guys standing around deep, literally just standing there while they wait for something to happen. It’s a dumb defense.
Then of course the other problems are completely made up nonsense, like 4th down vs the Falcons were people somehow tried to blame Winfield for not covering someone when clearly the tape showed he was doing what he always does in Bowles dumb defense, and was protecting an area down the field as he was supposed to. When I pointed that out people said I didn’t know what I was talking about – then Bowles came out and literally said Kindle didn’t stay in coverage, bit on an under route, and that opened up the huge hole – that Winfield was doing his job.
Winfield is an ALL-PRO player, the best player on the Bucs defense, and we have dopes out there that want him off the team because they’re too dumb to know what they’re watching.
June 9th, 2026 at 1:28 pm
Frustrating season for An Erection For Sacks, too.
No quotation marks needed.
The Patriots game was a huge disappointment. The team was a disappointment, to be sure, (TWO long TD runs against!) but the fans were the biggest disappointment, by a country mile. They were either Pats fans, or Bucs “fans”, mere ticketholders wearing Bucs gear but otherwise acting like they were at a funeral service.
Stop buying season tickets only to sell them to the enemy. If you can’t manage that, let someone who is willing to be a better fan than you sit in that seat.
You, Bucsfan, were the biggest disappointment that day.