Detroit Lions, Tampa Bay Buccaneers playing for goals other than playoffs now
DETROIT (AP) — Jameis Winston has plenty to play for and Darius Slay does, too.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Detroit Lions have been eliminated from the playoff picture, putting their team goals out of reach.
But Winston and Slay are among a group of players who will have something at stake Sunday at Ford Field and over the last two games of the season.
Winston, who intends to play in Detroit with a small fracture in his right thumb, is in the final year of the contract he signed as the No. 1 pick overall in 2015.
The injury didn’t stop him from throwing for a career-high 456 yards and four touchdowns in last week’s win against the Indianapolis Colts.
Slay has one more season worth about $10 million on his deal, and there’s a chance the standout cornerback may end up on another team next season.
He publicly questioned the decision to trade safety Quandre Diggs to Seattle for a fifth-round pick earlier this season.