Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston will reportedly be suspended for the first three games of the NFL season for violating the league's personal conduct policy. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the pending suspension stems from an alleged incident with an Uber driver in Scottsdale, Arizona, in March 2016.
The alleged incident first surfaced in November 2017, after Buzzfeed published a report in which a female uber driver accused Winston of grabbing her crotch. According to the report, the driver, identified as Kate, says she picked up Winston and some friends in Scottsdale, Arizona at around 2am in March of 2016, and the Bucs QB hopped in the front seat. He was allegedly shouting homophobic slurs at pedestrians before he requested to stop at a drive thru.
According to Buzzfeed, while waiting in line at the drive-thru of Los Betos Mexican Food, Jameis allegedly reached over, grabbed the driver's crotch and held his hand there for three to five seconds and removed it only after she looked up in shock and said, “What’s up with that?”
“I wasn't just creeped out. I was frozen.” She described Winston as “very physically imposing.”
“I mean he's an NFL quarterback and I’m 5 ft 6. I’m not prepared for that. So I completely froze.”
Schefter notes that the NFL still has not notified Winston of its official decision, and the circumstances surrounding it still could lead to an increase or decrease of the three games. The Bucs open up the season in New Orleans, followed by home games against the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers.