The rivalry between Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota is a decade old now. It began when the two quarterbacks entered the NFL as the top two picks in the 2015 Draft. From head-to-head matchups and contrasting play styles to their battles for long-term starting roles, the media has relentlessly fueled comparisons between them.
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Initially, Winston bought into the competitive narrative that the media portrayed, especially during the NFL Combine. While the two would show up at the same training facility, they never worked out together.
This heightened the sense of rivalry for the former Bucs QB so much so that at one point, Winston would even ensure that their paths never crossed at the training facility.
“We were out there at the same place, we would show up, and like, we would never work out together. Like literally, if I was in the building, he was either leaving or he was going to go somewhere else,” Winston recalled on Bussin’ With The Boys.
Due to this invisible barrier that was erected, Winston revealed he and Mariota never really had any tangible conversation to develop a bond.
“There was just never that brotherhood you typically see between the No. 1 and No. 2 picks, you know what I’m saying? It was more like, ‘You do your thing over there, I’ll do mine over here’. We were both working, but we weren’t doing it together. So no real conversation took place between us,” elaborated Winston.
However, the former Bucs QB did clarify that the duo “never (really) hated each other”. And with time, Winston realized that Marcus wasn’t actually ducking him. The former Titan was simply minding his business — which is what his inherent nature is.
Winston and Mariota reunited later
While preparing for the 2024 season, Winston decided to pay a visit to Jim Radcliffe, a reputed strength coach, on the advice of his chiropractor, Eric Gorman. During his visit to Oregon Winston accidentally bumped into his “arch-nemesis”.
This surprise meetup thawed the ice, it seems. It turned into real bonding time when the duo finally got to work out together — an experience that gave Winston insight into how Mariota perceived the rivalry.
Firstly, Winston realized that Mariota was a level above him in strength training and practice. That made him thank his stars that Mariota never really made the most of this advantage.
Secondly, his interaction made him realize that the former Titans star had always been focused on his family and personal journey. Winston, meanwhile, was fixated on being the best QB in the league and winning the Super Bowl. This contrast was an eye-opener for Winston.
“His mentality was already ahead — he was focused on his family, his journey. He wasn’t into all the things I was into. He was thinking, ‘I’ve got my family, I’m about to have this opportunity, and I’m going to focus on that,’” Winston said.
“Meanwhile, I was thinking, ‘I’ve got this opportunity, I’m about to make the most of it. We’re going to win the Super Bowl. I just won the championship—it’s unstoppable.’ And this was the only guy who beat me in my college career, so I was locked in, focused on being better than him,” he added.
It’s funny how meaningless chatter can artificially stir up something that’s not even real. The Winston-Mariota rivalry saga is a big lesson for all of us — communication goes a long way in setting things right.
Had Winston simply extended an olive branch to Mariota at the start of their careers, their history might have been quite different. Maybe they could’ve even started a podcast together, sharing insights and their unique perspectives on the game and life.
