NFL news broke Thursday that Tampa Bay Buccaneers franchise quarterback Jameis Winston will be suspended for the first three games of the 2018 season. Most of the rumors around Winston is that he is unlikely to appeal the decision, though nothing official has been put forward as a response from Winston’s camp.
NFL is planning to suspend Buccaneers’ QB Jameis Winston the first three games of the season for violating the personal conduct policy, league sources tell ESPN.
ESPN’s Tallahassee host Jeff Cameron initially reported Winston was bracing to be suspended – and he will be.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 21, 2018
Jameis Winston Facing Three-Game Suspension to Start 2018 Season
The three-game suspension is related to a 2016 incident in which Winston stands accused of forcibly groping an Uber driver. The news does not bode well for the organization’s 2018 hopes, especially considering that their first three opponents of the upcoming season are the New Orleans Saints, Philadelphia Eagles, and Pittsburgh Steelers, three teams that, by reputation, require no type of outside assistance winning ball games.
On the field, the news likely means that backup Ryan Fitzpatrick will be working with the first team squad come late July when the team reconvenes for mandatory practices. It will be tough sledding, but barring any further losses in lieu of injury or suspension, the team is fortunate to have a vet like Fitzpatrick to rely on while Winston is out. That being said, if they win even one of their three opening games, Tampa should consider themselves lucky. The Vegas odds, even before the suspension decision was brought down, were pretty lopsided, with the Bucs being the heavy underdog going into their NFL September.
Recently Bucs’ head coach Dirk Koetter expressed his confidence in their team’s chance to be a playoff contender, even after putting together a 5-11 season in 2017. To the chagrin of many Tampa fans, Bucs’ general manager Jason Licht and his staff decided to show faith in Koetter by giving him another year at the helm. With news of the suspension as fresh as it is, and a rough start to the 2018 NFL season looking more and more likely, it wouldn’t be shocking if the power seats in Tampa get a great deal hotter.
