Jameis Winston Confident He Won't Face Suspension from Groping Allegations

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston said Thursday that he doesn't expect to face league discipline stemming from groping allegations levied against him by an Uber driver. 

According to ESPN.com's Jenna Laine, Winston said, "I have no fear at all. But I have to respect their process. I'm just going to respect the process, most importantly. That's all I can do."

On Nov. 17, Talal Ansari of BuzzFeed reported a female Uber driver alleged that Winston put his hand on her crotch during a ride in March 2016, but Winston denied the allegations.

The driver did not file a police report, but she did file a complaint with Uber, which resulted in Winston no longer being permitted to use Uber.

Although the driver said Winston sat next to her in the passenger seat and was the only other person in the vehicle at the time of the alleged incident, Winston's former Florida State teammate and current Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Ronald Darby said he was also present, and backed Winston's denial.

Winston was previously accused of sexual assault by former Florida State student Erica Kinsman stemming from an alleged 2012 incident, but Winston was never charged, and he reached a settlement with Kinsman in 2016.

On Thursday, Winston remained steadfast in his assertion that he was responsible for no wrongdoing in the Uber case or the 2012 allegations against him, per Laine:

"I put my statement out there discussing this allegation and I've gotta respect the process [of the league investigation]. I've been vindicated several times on the past situation. So my statement on those accusations stand firm, too. As always, it's always a growing process in everything. And I'm going to continue to grow."

Winston is currently under investigation by the NFL in relation to the Uber driver's allegations.

He hasn't played since Week 9 against the New Orleans Saints due to a shoulder injury, but Winston is set to start in Week 13 when the 4-7 Bucs travel to Green Bay to take on the 5-6 Packers.