After his second retirement, one that actually was a retirement and that actually lasted a full year, Bruce Arians returned to coaching. It’s widely believed that he came back because he sorely missed it.
Apparently, he didn’t.
“I’ll be honest with you, I didn’t miss it that much,” Arians told Seattle reporters on a conference call in advance of Sunday’s game against the Seahawks. “I just hated the travel of television. This opportunity came along, and the General Manager is a good friend, I love the ownership, and all of my assistant coaches were available, and when my wife got excited, I said, ‘OK, why not?’”
Seven games in, Arians’ return hasn’t gone as well as he’d hoped. He has lost three straight games for the first time in his head-coaching career, and he’s been unable to dramatically upgrade the performance of quarterback Jameis Winston.
Arians continues to defend Winston, claiming that most of Winston’s interceptions aren’t his fault. Regardless, Winston’s play continues to be plagued by periodic “what the hell is he thinking?” moments, despite the best efforts of a bona fide quarterback whisperer.
While it’s still possible for the Bucs to turn things around, what if they don’t? Would Arians return for a second year? Would he want a new quarterback if he did? Or would he insist on another year with Winston?
The problem with Winston is that, after five years of football, he’s essentially reached his ceiling. While they may lead to winning streaks and playoff runs and other statistical oddities if he plays another 10 years, Winston likely won’t make a dramatic leap in Year Six or beyond. If Arians believes that Winston is as good as he’s ever going to be, Arians’ decision to stay could be tied to a decision to let him find another quarterback to lead the offense.