Jameis Winston touched an Uber driver “in an inappropriate and sexual manner without her consent.” That was written in an NFL press release Thursday, announcing the findings of a league investigation into a March 2016 incident in Scottsdale, Ariz. It’s a plain and straightforward conclusion, with no equivocation.
If only the same could be said for his punishment. The Buccaneers quarterback was suspended for three games by the NFL—three, not six, the baseline punishment stated in the league’s personal conduct policy.
It’s ironic, given that consistency was a driving force behind re-writing the policy in 2014, months after the league’s mishandling of discipline for Ray Rice after he struck his then-fiancée in a casino elevator.