Antoine Winfield Jr. #31 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers warms up prior to the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
There’s no question that the 2024 season didn’t go as planned for Antoine Winfield Jr. or the Buccaneers. Winfield Jr. struggled through two injuries that cost him a total of 8 games last year. But even when he was on the field, Winfield Jr. played well-below his First-Team All-Pro level, earning the lowest PFF overall grade of his career (57.8). Heading into the 2025 season, PFF‘s Zoltán Buday has named Winfield Jr. as one of the 10 players with the most to prove. “One year after his historic contract extension, Winfield is looking to prove that he is still among the best safeties in the NFL,” writes Buday.
Winfield Jr. Has the Most to Prove of Any Safety in 2025
After a stellar 2023 season, in which Winfield Jr. led the league with 6 forced fumbles and earned a First-Team All-Pro nod, the Bucs locked him up long-term last May. Tampa Bay rewarded Winfield Jr. with a 4-year, $84 million deal, making him the highest-paid defensive back in NFL history.
“Between 2021 and 2023, Winfield earned a 92.0 PFF overall grade, which led 93 qualifying safeties over that span,” writes Buday. “His 3,077 snaps across the three seasons were the 13th most among safeties.”
But, the 2024 season turned out to be the worst of his career so far, mainly due to multiple injuries. He played a career-low 528 snaps, earning a well-below-average PFF coverage grade of 50.3, ranking 137th out of 171 qualifying safeties. He also missed 9% of his tackle attempts, “which was the worst rate of the past three seasons,” according to Buday. Buday ranked Winfield as the 4th-best safety in the league entering the 2025 season, writing that his “career body of work keeps him in the top four ahead of 2025.”
“Even when he was on the field, he did not play like his usual self,” writes PFF‘s Zoltán Buday. “His 57.8 PFF overall grade was the lowest of his career, in line with his 50.8 PFF coverage grade and his 125.1 passer rating allowed in coverage. One year after his historic contract extension, Winfield is looking to prove that he is still among the best safeties in the NFL.”
Injuries in the Secondary Plagued Bucs in 2024
As Buccaneers Staff Writer/Reporter Brianna Dix wrote in her review of the safety position following the end of last season, Tampa Bay “dealt with a plethora of injuries” in 2024. Those injuries led to the Bucs trotting out 12 different combinations in the secondary, which “hindered continuity,” according to Dix.
Week 1 starters Antoine Winfield Jr. and Jordan Whitehead played just 6 games together in 2024. Winfield Jr. suffered a foot injury on one of the final plays of their Week 1 win that cost him the next 4 games. The two did not play together until Week 6, but that didn’t last long. Whitehead suffered a pectoral injury during their Week 12 win against the Giants that cost him 4 games, as well. Now, in 2025, Winfield Jr. and the Bucs’ secondary have the opportunity for a fresh start. Winfield Jr.’s record-setting contract and poor performance in 2024 set him up as a player with the most to prove this year.
“Winfield is the proven impact player, capable of making game-changing plays on a nearly weekly basis when he’s at the top of his game,” writes Buccaneers Senior Writer/Editor Scott Smith. “He has the opportunity to climb the ladder all over again to reclaim elite status at his position.”
Winfield is “keenly aware” that the Bucs will need him to approach that “elite status” in 2025. Tampa Bay only generated seven interceptions last season, “losing several games that required one more defensive stop at the end,” writes Smith. “Even in his more limited playing time last year, Winfield recorded Tampa Bay’s only defensive touchdown on a 58-yard scoop-and-score fumble return in a road win at New Orleans.”
If the Buccaneers’ secondary can stay healthy, especially Winfield Jr., Tampa Bay will be in great position in 2025.
