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NFL Players Recruiting Sports Agents

On To The Next One: Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Jameis Winston

GREEN BAY, WI - DECEMBER 03: Jameis Winston #3 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throws a pass in the second quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on December 3, 2017 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

Jameis Winston has returned to the Buccaneers after serving his three-game suspension for allegedly sexually abusing an Uber driver in 2016 and a subsequent civil suit was filed against the Buccaneers quarterback for damages amounting to over $75,000.

Shortly after the suspension was announced in July, Winston fired Greg Genske and Kenny Felder, who have been his agents since he entered the NFL in 2015. Genske and Felder are baseball agents with very limited football experience.

Since the suspension, Winston has been interviewing potential replacements. On Tuesday, Winston hired Joel Segal as his new agent.

Segal, head of the US Sports division for Lagardere Sports & Entertainment, represents a 77 man football client roster. According to Neil Stratton of Inside the League, Segal represents the 3rd most NFL clients behind Todd France of CAA and Rosenhaus Sports. Segal’s track record speaks for itself. Negotiating over $1.3 billion over his career, Segal has had 38 first-round draft picks including 5 in the 2016 Draft. Clients include Khalil Mack, Patrick Peterson as well as Buccaneer stars DeSean Jackson and Vernon Hargreaves.

Although the Buccaneers already picked up Winston’s fifth-year option worth $20 million, this hire for Winston is vital as he hopes Segal can negotiate a long-term deal despite Winston’s off the field issues.

Representing Winston will not be an easy task. Clearly, Winston has had his fair share of issues off the field. However, it will be more interesting to see if Winston cleans up his act while also competing to win back the Buccaneers starting QB position. Ryan “Fitzmagic” Fitzpatrick has been making it far from easy for Winston to win back the Buccaneers starting QB job. Despite the Buccaneers loss to the Steelers in Week 3, Fitzpatrick broke an NFL record for throwing for 400-plus yards in three consecutive games.

Multiple reports have questioned whether or not Fitzpatrick will remain the Buccaneers starting quarterback even after Winston’s return from his suspension, but it was announced that Winston will return to the starting lineup after the Bucs’ bye-week.