On Wednesday, ESPN's Jeff Cameron reported that Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston was preparing to receive a suspension for an incident with an Uber driver in March 2016. On Thursday, that's exactly what happened to the Bucs signal-caller.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the NFL is going to suspend Winston for the first three games of the 2018 season, citing a violation of the league's personal conduct policy.
The incident was unreported until November 2017 when BuzzFeed's Talal Ansari broke the news. Schefter noted that Winston's camp hasn't officially been notified by the league of the suspension, and that there's a chance the length of it is either decreased or increased based on the circumstances.
The Uber driver did not file criminal charges but did make a formal complaint with the ride-sharing company. Winston allegedly grabbed her crotch in a drive-thru at Los Betos Mexican Food in Scottsdale, Arizona at 2 a.m. No security footage of the incident was taken.
Schefter noted that an appeal is unlikely due to circumstances with his contract. Winston's base salary this year is $705,000, meaning he would lose $124,000 if the suspension is upheld. In 2019, the Florida State product is due $20.9 million. If an appeal dragged into the following season, Winston would stand to lose a much more lucrative chunk of change.
With Winston out, veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick will likely get the nod under center. The Harvard alum went 2-1 in three starts in 2017 while Winston dealt with a shoulder injury. Tampa Bay's first three regular season games are on the road against the New Orleans Saints and then at home for the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Behind Fitzpatrick on the depth chart is Tulane's Ryan Griffin.
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