With the Jameis Winston three-game suspension to start the regular season, plenty of questions remain. One of the biggest is will Winston step right back in the starting lineup as Tampa Bay’s quarterback in Week 4 at Chicago upon his return?
Bucs GM Jason Licht said that Winston isn’t going to automatically assume the starting role when he returns. Licht made that comment on the Bucs preseason TV broadcast during the fourth quarter of Thursday night’s game on WFLA News Channel 8.
#Bucs GM Jason Licht not fully committing to Jamies starting week 4 vs CHI: "I don't think it's fair to say right now, that he's going to be the guy"
— Scott Smith (@ScottSmithFOX13) August 31, 2018
Winston’s suspension starts this weekend and he isn’t eligible to rejoin his teammates until after Week 3, which happens to be following the Monday night matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers, meaning it would be Tuesday preceding the Bears game. Certainly a lot will also depend on how the team is performing, and specifically Ryan Fitzpatrick, who is slated to start the first three games for Tampa Bay.