The journey toward Super Bowl LII ended far too prematurely for the Pittsburgh Steelers, sending them into offseason mode before we were ready for it. But we are in it now, and are ready to move on, through the Combine, through free agency, through the draft, into OTAs, and beyond.
We have asked and answered a lot of questions over the years and will continue to do so, and at the moment, there seem to be a ton of questions that need answering. A surprise early exit in the postseason will do that to you though, especially when it happens in the way it did.
You can rest assured that we have the questions, and we will be monitoring developments all throughout the offseason process, all the way down to Latrobe. Pending free agents, possible veteran roster cuts, contract extensions, pre-draft visits, pro days, all of it will have its place when the time arises.
Question: Will the Steelers face Jameis Winston when they play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 3?
As of this writing, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston has not officially been suspended, but several news outlets are reporting that it is expected to happen very shortly, within the next week, or perhaps as early as today.
Until the suspension is officially handed down, we are not going to know the exact terms, but the reports indicate that it is expected to be in the ballpark of three games, and if it hits three games, then that means that he would be aligned to miss the Buccaneers’ game against the Steelers, which takes place in the third week of the season.
So the first hurdle we have to clear is actually getting an official suspension handed down and confirming that it is for at least three games. But even at that, he likely will appeal, as most players do, and as we know from personal experience with Le’Veon Bell, such suspensions are often reduced by a game or more.
Winston’s suspension comes from a November 2017 revelation that he had an incident with a female Uber driver more than a year and a half prior to that incident. According to the reports, the specific details of the suspension are still being decided based on last-minute information.
The former Florida State quarterback has had a history of immaturity, to put it lightly, even flippantly, going back to his college career. While he has never been formally charged with a crime in the past, his university has been forced to pay money as a result of his behavior.
It’s looking like Winston is going to be eating an L on this one, and if he fails to take the field, that makes it all the more likely that his Tampa Bay teammates will be eating one as well when they host the Steelers in September.
