Bucs rule out QB Winston for clash vs. Falcons

Nov 21, 2017 - 5:00 AM Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston was ruled out for this week after his injured throwing shoulder was re-evaluated by doctors on Monday.

Head coach Dirk Koetter told reporters that Winston is not ready to return for the Sunday game against the Atlanta Falcons. Winston will be re-evaluated next week, Koetter said.

Winston, who missed the past two games, has been battling a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder since Week 6. He was sidelined two weeks ago to rest his shoulder.

Backup quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick is 2-0 since starting for Winston, including a 30-20 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, when he threw for 275 yards and two touchdowns.

Winston was in the news last week for off-field reasons, accused of groping a female Uber driver after she picked him up in Scottsdale, Ariz., on March 13, 2016.

The NFL is investigating the woman's allegation, which Winston denied.

The Uber driver told BuzzFeed News on Friday that she picked up Winston in Scottsdale around 2 a.m. local time on March 13, 2016. The driver alleged Winston "behaved poorly" as soon as he got in the car, and then asked her to stop at a drive-thru restaurant during the ride.

While in line, the driver said Winston, who was the only passenger in the car, reached over and "grabbed" her crotch for three to five seconds. The woman said Winston was the only passenger and that he sat in the front seat.

Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Ronald Darby, who played with Winston at Florida State in 2013 and 2014, came to his former teammate's defense on Sunday. Darby claims he was in the Uber ride with Winston in 2016 and the accusation that Winston groped the driver "are just not true."