Winston suspension would further cloud future with Buccaneers
Jameis Winston's future with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was uncertain even before reports that the quarterback is about to be suspended for three games.
The Bucs chose Winston over Marcus Mariota with the first pick of the 2015 draft, and while Mariota has since led the Tennessee Titans to the playoffs, Winston's been inconsistent in his three seasons.
He set franchise passing records and threw for more than 4,000 yards in his first two campaigns, but he's also been intercepted 44 times and lost 15 fumbles.
The Bucs exercised the fifth-year option in his rookie contract in April, locking Winston up for the 2019 season. The 2018 campaign is make-or-break for the 24-year-old. If he proves himself a franchise quarterback and finds a way to steer Tampa Bay to the playoffs, he'll likely land an extension - but a possible suspension only gives the team's brass more misgivings about making that commitment.
Off-field incidents are nothing new for Winston. A woman said he sexually assaulted her during his time at Florida State, and he was also suspended for one half of a game for shouting an obscene sexual phrase on campus. He was never charged in the sexual assault case, but it made national headlines during his final college season and throughout the draft process. He reached a settlement with the woman in 2016.
Between the time the Bucs picked Winston and November 2017, his behavior away from the field didn't draw much negative attention beyond an incident last offseason when his remarks to a group of school children were criticized as sexist. He later admitted "poor word choice."
But now the NFL is reportedly planning to suspend Winston because a female Uber driver says he grabbed her crotch in March 2016. Her account of their interaction wasn't reported publicly until November, and by then, the league was investigating.
Winston denies making any inappropriate contact with her. Uber confirmed to ESPN and Buzzfeed that it revoked his riding privileges after the driver filed a formal complaint against him with the company, though Winston didn't report the complaint to the league.
Related - Report: NFL investigation found Darby wasn't with Winston for entire Uber ride
If the quarterback is suspended for the first three games of the season, he would miss difficult matchups against the New Orleans Saints, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Pittsburgh Steelers - a Monday nighter that's the Bucs' lone prime-time game.
The Buccaneers already own one of the league's toughest schedules. Their division produced three playoff teams last year, and they draw the NFC East in 2018. If Tampa Bay struggles, with and without Winston, the franchise will likely make significant changes.
Head coach Dirk Koetter enters the season on the hot seat. After the Bucs disappointed in 2017 - they were tabbed as playoff contenders and instead finished 5-11 - most observers were surprised the team retained him. He can't afford another sub-.500 season, and any new coach would presumably want their own guy at the most important position on the field.
Tampa Bay could also move on from Winston if the poor results and negative press simply prove to be too much. His 2019 option is only guaranteed for injury, so the Bucs could cut him before the first day of the 2019 league year and avoid having to pay his $20.9-million salary.
The Buccaneers received discouraging 80-1 odds to make the Super Bowl from the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook. If their starting quarterback is suspended, those odds will only get longer, and Winston's and Koetter's chances of staying in Tampa Bay beyond this season will keep shrinking.