As Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston makes his way toward a potentially major payday from his current team or someone else, Winston has removed completely an incident that could have complicated his career, considerably.
According to Matt Baker of the Tampa Bay Times, Winston has settled the lawsuit brought against him by an Uber driver who accused Winston of groping her. The incident, which happened in March 2016, first came to light in November 2017. It sparked an NFL investigation and, eventually, a three-game suspension under the Personal Conduct Policy.
The terms of the settlement weren’t, and surely won’t be, disclosed. Part of what the defendant in a case like this pays for is confidentiality, a very common term ensuring that the person who receives compensation won’t announce the amount paid to the world, which in turn creates the impression that the payment implies guilt.
Winston has successfully avoided publication of chapter-and-verse details of the event. A negotiation with the NFL regarding his punishment, which kept the league from sharing those details with the world, may have gone a long way toward preventing Winston from becoming ostracized. The settlement of the civil lawsuit ensures that, barring a breach of the settlement agreement, the details never will emerge, allowing Winston to continue playing pro football without facing the kind of backlash that has forever altered multiple careers in the entertainment world.