Jameis Winston being sued by rape accuser

NFL Draft hopeful Jameis Winston is being sued by the woman who accused him of sexual assault.

More from NFL Draft

• Green Bay may never get to host a Super Bowl, but was just awarded next-best thing
• Green Bay selected as 2025 NFL Draft location: Best memes and tweets from NFL Twitter
• Nakobe Dean perfectly explains Howie Roseman’s draft affinity for Georgia
• Andy Reid confirms the Chiefs pivoting plans after the draft
• College Football: Replacements for every first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft

It wasn’t all that long ago that rumors started going around that maybe the Bucs weren’t as high on Jameis Winston as everyone thought.  The rumors coincided with Marcus Mariota‘s stock rising, of course, but then again, maybe the Bucs organization knew something we didn’t. Winston’s off-field controversies aren’t going away as the news came out on Thursday that his accuser in the 2012 sexual assault allegations is filing a lawsuit.

Zephyrhills’ Erica Kinsman names Winston in the lawsuit and claims sexual battery, assault, false imprisonment and “intentional infliction of emotional distress arising out of forcible rape,” according to the Tampa Bay Times. The suit is seeking damages of more than $15,000. Previously, Winston had not been charged or arrested in connection with the claims. The State’s Attorney Office did not press charges saying there wasn’t enough evidence and that Kinsman’s testimony was problematic.

The big question comes down to the teams interested in Winston, namely the Bucs, who most prognosticators still have taking him as their number one pick. To say this is a distraction is an understatement. To say that this might definitely give teams second thoughts on Winston is probably accurate. Publicly though, if the Bucs are still into Winston, this isn’t changing their mind, per the Tampa Bay Times.

On the other hand, there will be those looking at the timing of the suit, i.e. Winston’s potentially big payday should he go at number one or high in the first round period. It’s entirely possible this was never meant to be more than a settlement. If that’s the case, then Winston would be wise to settle it quickly.

Obviously the incident calls into question Winston’s character, but it’s also a public relations minefield for any team planning to invest in him. One argument is that a team like the Bucs doesn’t need this type of distraction as they try to rebuild and turn themselves into a competitive team. The Bucs have had nothing but distractions in recent years, from MRSA to the issues with fired former coach Greg Schiano.

For Winston’s part, he’s tried to get the public off his negative image. He denies the rape allegation and admits that he wasn’t thinking when he blurted out an obscene Internet meme at a party. Whether it will all stick, remains to be seen.

H/T Pro Football Talk

More from FanSided

• Joe Burrow owes Justin Herbert a thank you note after new contract
• Chiefs gamble at wide receiver could already be biting them back
• Braves-Red Sox start time: Braves rain delay in Boston on July 25
• Yankees: Aaron Boone gives optimistic return date for Aaron Judge
• MLB Rumors: Yankees-Phillies trade showdown, Mariners swoop, India goes to Seattle