TAMPA, Fla. — While his status with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers going into next season remains up in the air, quarterback Jameis Winston has taken steps to correct his nearsightedness, recently undergoing LASIK surgery.
“He had LASIK. And he didn’t want to count out any options that he had that could possibly help him with the game he loves so much,” Winston’s publicist, Denise White, told ESPN. “He doesn’t want to miss out on an opportunity that presents itself. This is the game he loves and he wants to be the best at it and if there are any options that can improve his game he is willing to do it.”
Speculation about the surgery began when Winston posted a photo of himself on Instagram wearing optometry glasses with the caption, “They know!!!!”
Winston has struggled with nearsightedness throughout his career. When he was at Florida State, television cameras frequently panned to a squinting Winston.
“He can’t read the scoreboard, but he can see the guys in front of him, so he’s fine,” Bucs coach Bruce Arians said at the end of the season.
When asked whether Winston considered wearing contact lenses, Arians said, “He’s got goggles that he practices in sometimes.”
It’s unclear to what degree, if any, vision has affected Winston’s accuracy issues. Interceptions have plagued him throughout his college and NFL career. He threw 30 interceptions in 2019 but still threw a league-high 5,109 passing yards and 33 touchdowns. His 19,737 passing yards are the seventh most of any quarterback in the league since 2015.
While Winston has kept a relatively low profile this offseason, he has been involved in charity work. Last month, he donated $100,000 to his hometown’s athletic programs at Hueytown High School and Hueytown Middle School, and $50,000 to his mother, Loretta’s alma mater, Miles College, where he has held his Dream Forever football camps.
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