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Jameis Winston will NOT be under center for the Buccaneers’ Week 2 game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Tampa Bay’s starting quarterback will reportedly be suspended for the first three games of the 2018 NFL season due violating the league’s personnel conduct policy. Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports Winston is not expected to appeal the decision.
Jameis Winston is expecting to be suspended three games by the NFL for as early as Friday but before July 4 after an 8 month probe into allegations he groped a female Uber driver in March 2016. He’s not expected to appeal.
Winston has financial motivation not to appeal, as Adam Schefter notes.
Jameis Winston would lose $124,000 in base salary for 3-game suspension with 2017 salary at $705,000; salary for next season scheduled to be $20.9 million, reducing the chance that Winston would consider appealing this suspension and dragging it out.
With Winston out, the Buccaneers will likely start 35-year-old journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback. He’s one of the more qualified backups in the league but he’s nothing to be real worried about.
Fitzpatrick completed 58.9% of his attempts for 1,103 yards, seven touchdowns, three interceptions, and a 86.0 passer rating in six games played last season.
The Eagles are set to travel down to Tampa Bay to play the Buccaneers on Sunday, September 16 at 1:00 PM ET.