Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston is the latest NFL player to find himself at the center of a scandal, with reports coming in over the weekend that he's being investigated by the NFL for allegedly groping a female Uber driver.
ESPN's Adam Schefter says that, while the inquisition is currently underway, the league's representatives don't foresee the issue being resolved quickly. "The investigation is not expected to [be] wrapped up by the end of this season," said Schefter. "[This means] that Winston's case could hang over the upcoming NFL offseason similar to how Ezekiel Elliott's case hung over the NFL last offseason."
The Uber driver in question has gone on record as saying that Winston grabbed her groin area for several seconds while they were using the drive-thru at a Mexican restaurant. According to her, Winston was the only person in the car with her. After the incident was reported to Uber, the company banned the QB from using its service. For his part, Winston has not only denied any allegations of deviant behavior while taking the Uber ride, but he also added that he wasn't alone in the car. He says the driver "was confused as to the number of passengers in the car and who was sitting next to her."
The story has been corroborated by another NFL player, Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Ronald Darby. The two were former teammates at Florida State and were supposedly in the Uber together on that given night, and he said that Winston did not perform any act of a sexually harassing nature. The Uber driver's attorney, John Clune, wants the NFL to investigate Darby's comments and make sure that the Eagles cornerback "immediately turn his phone over to the NFL," so that his GPS information can be examined and cross-referenced. Interestingly, Clune "also represented the Florida State student who accused Winston of sexual assault in 2012," according to Schefter's report.
The 23-year-old Winston will miss his third consecutive game due to injury today as he continues to recover from a shoulder injury. His Buccaneers sit in fourth place in the NFC South with a 4-6 record.
