Like much of the rest of the defense, Tampa Bay Buccaneers star safety Antoine Winfield Jr. had a less-than-stellar 2025.
The former Minnesota Golden Gopher dealt with an ankle injury for two separate parts of the season, causing him to miss eight total games in his first season after signing a four-year, $84.1 million deal with $45 million in guarantees to keep him in Tampa Bay.
Winfield posted 60 total tackles with 34 solo and two for loss with four QB hits, two sacks and a 58-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown.
While the Buccaneers have focused on improving one of the league's worst units from a year ago this offseason through free agency and the draft, a resurgent year from Winfield would go a long way toward the ultimate goal.
Pro Football Focus named Winfield the Bucs' "bounce-back candidate" for next season.
“Tampa Bay struggled to defend the middle of the field in 2024, due in part to injuries and a dip in production from star safety Antoine Winfield Jr", PFF said. "He posted a career-low 50.8 coverage grade and, for the first time in his career, failed to record an interception.”
Winfield posted almost elite numbers in 2023, so we know the potential is there.
And the ankle injury isn't expected to be a factor next season, so we could see his play return to that 2023 form. He'll turn 27 in August, so youth is still on his side.
Tampa Bay is on an incredible run, tying a record four-straight NFC South titles, and has made the postseason five years running.