More Details On Jameis Winston’s Impending Suspension

We learned earlier tonight that the NFL was planning on suspending Jameis Winston, and the Buccaneers quarterback wasn’t going to appeal. Why wouldn’t he exercise his appeal rights? Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com believes Winston and the NFL have already cut a deal.

There’s a benefit for both sides. The NFL could have threatened Winston with a six-game ban, and the quarterback managed to get that chopped in half. By avoiding an appeal, the NFL could also avoid a lengthy, “futile” appeal process. As Florio points out, this ordeal could also “expose yet another Park Avenue Keystone Cops investigation and/or kangaroo court process.”

After having learned from the Tom Brady and Ezekiel Elliott appeals, the writer ultimately surmises that the NFL didn’t want to deal with the impending “P.R. crisis” that would surely accompany the process.

There have been some more important notes regarding Winston’s suspension. We’ve compiled those below…

  • While it was originally reported that the quarterback would be suspended for three games, the NFL could end up increasing the punishment. Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets that Winston could be suspended for more games if he “fails to meet certain undisclosed requirements” that are expected to be handed out by the NFL.
  • NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport echoes Stroud’s sentiment, tweeting that the suspension “number has not yet been finalized.” The reporter adds that Winston nor the team have been notified of the suspension, and he notes that the quarterback “must meet a certain criteria related to his conduct to return to the field.”
  • The decision will be a “major” disappointment to the Buccaneers organization, writes ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The team was hoping for a bounce-back season following their 5-11 campaign, and they were also encouraged by the “type of behavior that Winston has demonstrated.” People around Tampa have also lauded the quarterback for his work with the surrounding communities.
  • Schefter tweets that Winston will lose $124K in base salary thanks to the three-game ban, which is based on his $705K salary for next season. However, the quarterback will be making $20.9MM in 2019, meaning he’d be sacrificing a lot more money if the process is dragged out. This would be another reason why Winston would want to completely avoid the appeals process.
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