Eagles could have a big advantage for week two already
Could the recent suspension rumors surrounding Jameis Winston give the Philadelphia Eagles a significant edge for week two?
Training camp hasn’t even started yet, and teams are already having some bad luck with the regular season. As we all know, this is the time of the year where random drug tests and off-field incidents occur. Therefore, many random suspensions get handed out on what feels like a bi-weekly occasion.
Luckily, the Philadelphia Eagles do not have any pending suspensions right now (knock on wood.) Aside from a few players recovering from injuries, the Eagles should have most of their returning starters for the beginning of the regular season. Not every other team is in the same boat though.
A report made its way around the internet on Wednesday night regarding Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback, Jameis Winston. According to Pro Football Talk, Winston could allegedly be facing a suspension of up to three games. He could potentially miss the week two showdown against the Super Bowl Champions.
Giving the Eagles some edge?
For those who are curious, Winston is still being investigated for his alleged Uber incident from a while back. As a matter of fact, the Eagles were quite aware of the story since Winston’s fellow college teammate, and current Eagles defensive back Ronald Darby was a witness. Although Darby defended Winston, the quarterback’s reps believe that Winston will be issued a suspension.
"“The Winston camp is prepared for the NFL to levy a suspension of some kind,” Cameron said. “The thought from the Winston camp is that would be a maximum of three games. I do not know at this time whether or not they plan to appeal, and I do not know that three games is an accurate number. I’ve been told that would seem to be the maximum number of games that the suspension could be. It’s also likely that it’s less than that and it’s one game.”"
Without Winston, the Eagles could end up facing former New York Jets quarterback, Ryan Fitzpatrick. The last time Fitzpatrick played the Eagles was during his tenure with the Jets back in 2015. He threw nearly 60 passes and turned the ball over three times while only throwing for two touchdowns. The Eagles defeated the Fitzpatrick-led Jets during one of their better seasons. In other words, the Eagles have a substantial advantage against the Buccaneers with Winston out.