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Bucs won’t have Jameis Winston on stadium mural to start 2018

The Bucs quarterback is not part of the Bucs' marketing promotion material while he awaits a three-game suspension, but that could change later in the season
 
Published July 23, 2018

TAMPA — Jameis Winston is the face of the Bucs franchise but his portrait will not be on any of the player murals being displayed on corners of Raymond Jameis Stadium.

As Winston prepares to serve a three-game suspension for violating the NFL's personal player conduct policy, the Bucs have decided not to include their beleaguered quarterback among any of their marketing promotions.

Winston was notably absent from the four promotional videos released by the Bucs last week.

On Monday, workers continued the process of adding the new player murals to the corners of RJS and the Times confirmed Winston will not be among them for the first time since his rookie year. That season, the murals were of defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, linebacker Lavonte David and receivers Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson.

As the team re-brands for 2018, a mural of David was plastered on the northeast corner and tight end Cameron Brate on the southeast corner.

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The SIEGE THE DAY slogan boards outside both end zones were replaced with what appears to be new marketing messages for 2018: "WREAK HAVOC" and "RAISE THE FLAGS."

The Bucs really didn't have any choice than to cease using Winston to promote their team. It's only been a few weeks since the NFL suspended him three games for groping a female Uber driver in Arizona in 2016 "in an inappropriate and sexual manner without her consent.' Using Winston to promote the team now could appear insensitive at best and tone deaf at worst.

Winston is allowed to participate in training camp  and preseason games, but he won't  return to the team once his suspension begins until the Sept. 30 game at Chicago.

Once he is back on the active roster, it's possible the Bucs could begin using his likeness in promotional material. But for now, the face of the franchise is missing from the stadium.