The NFL is set to suspend Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston, according to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
News from Schefter comes on the heels of a report from ESPN Tallahassee radio host Jeff Cameron (via JoeBucsFan) that Winston’s camp was preparing for one. The three-game suspension would result from a violation of the league’s Personal Conduct Policy. Specifically, Cameron reports Winston will be suspended for a failure to report the incident. HOWEVER, Tampa Bay Times reporter Rick Stroud tweets Winston will not be suspended for a failure to report. If you’d like you can read up on the league’s policy here.
The NFL recently completed an investigation into allegations that Winston groped an Uber driver in 2016. Bleacher Report’s Mike Chiari shared a statement from Winston’s Twitter account denying the allegations, but the tweet has since been deleted.
If the three-game suspension becomes official and Winston chooses not to appeal, he’ll miss the team’s first three games of the season. Matchups against the New Orleans Saints, Philadelphia Eagles, and Pittsburgh Steelers were already going to be tough for the Buccaneers. Doing it without their star quarterback will make it that much more challenging.
With that being said, a three-game suspension would put Winston in line to make his regular season debut against the Chicago Bears in Week 4 on September 30 at Soldier Field.