QB’s deal bans him from playing baseball
Jameis Winston may have made himself a very rich man by signing with Tampa Bay a day after being selected by the Buccaneers as the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft.
But he also reportedly signed away any hope he may have held out for pursuing a second career in baseball. At least for the next four years.
Winston’s four-year contract with the Buccaneers includes a clause that prohibits him from playing professional baseball for the length of his deal with Tampa Bay, according to Sports Illustrated’s Peter King.
Long before Winston won the Heisman Trophy at Florida State and became the top pick in the 2015 NFL draft, the Texas Rangers selected him out of high school in the 15th round of the 2012 Major League Baseball draft.
Winston passed on a professional baseball career back then but went on to play two seasons for the Seminoles as a pitcher, outfielder and designated hitter.
King reported back in February that Winston told him becoming a two-sport star “has always been my dream.” According to King, that comment alarmed Buccaneers General Manager John Licht, who texted and spoke to Winston about the issue before drafting him.
And now, just in case, they apparently have it in writing.