The current CBA gives the NFL the right to appeal disciplinary officer Sue Robinson’s suspension of Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson, who as of now is slated to miss this season’s first six games. The NFLPA announced it would not appeal Robinson’s ban, though that might not be especially telling of the union’s intentions regarding Watson. Roger Goodell or a Goodell appointee could overrule an NFLPA appeal.
With less than 24 hours until the deadline (8am CT Thursday) for the NFL to file an appeal, no such move has been made. While the league could elect to let Robinson’s ruling stand, her determination of Watson’s actions opens the door to Goodell adding games to the ban.
[RELATED: Watson Settles Three Of Remaining Four Civil Lawsuits]
Goodell should be expected to increase Watson’s suspension, sources informed ProFootballNetwork.com’s Aaron Wilson. Such an increase would likely come with a “significant” addition to Watson’s ban. It could also lead to a scenario in which Watson is on the field to start the season.
The NFLPA would have until Monday to file its own countermeasure, but with the CBA giving Goodell the final say, the union’s only realistic hope at outflanking the league would be in court. It tried this in 2015 with Tom Brady‘s Deflategate ban, and that lengthy court saga kept the then-Patriots quarterback on the field throughout that season. Brady’s four-game ban, however, remained in effect; it was merely delayed to 2016. Ezekiel Elliott also played after being handed a six-game suspension in 2017, via an injunction, but the Cowboys running back ultimately served the ban that year.
Cleveland’s schedule stiffens after its first four games come against teams with either uncertain quarterback situations or unproven signal-callers. From Weeks 5-15, the Browns face the Chargers, Patriots, Bills, Buccaneers and have both their Bengals and Ravens matchups in that span. Watson playing early and being suspended during the season would run the risk of the three-time Pro Bowler missing this stretch. Of course, Goodell could use Robinson’s language to drop a season-long suspension — the NFL’s goal during the June hearing. The NFLPA taking the NFL to court in that instance opens the door to Watson’s penalty dragging into 2023, a la Brady’s situation seven years ago.
These potential outcomes would depend on how long the matter stays in court. The NFL standing down here would open it up to more criticism regarding the lighter-than-expected (by many) sentence given to Watson, considering Robinson’s report indicated Watson committed sexual assault. But the league appealing and being taken to court would also keep the lightning-rod Browns QB in the spotlight longer.
“Cleveland’s schedule stiffens”…will it also be covered by a tiny towel at that moment?
It blows my mind that Watson didn’t get a stiffer penalty. Rubs me the wrong way.
Sue Robinson really blew this one and left a mess behind. Now other people will have to clean it up and they won’t be happy about this sticky situation.
How did she blow it? She was a neutral arbitrator who made a ruling based on the evidence the NFL presented and the NFL’s terrible conduct policy. The NFL blew it and they deserve their PR disaster.
I think it was a joke….. kind of a play on words…. like the other five comments but he went for the “happy ending”
“She blew this one” “left a mess behind” “others have to clean up” “sticky situation”
Oh my bad, it’s hard to know when I’ve seen people bashing her. I see AI’s other comments now.
It will then ask for a masseuse.
I really don’t see this having a happy ending.
Yep
Suspend him at least 10 games.
BrownsBacker gets a 4 game suspension.
Isn’t it punishment enough that he’s a Browns fan? To further punish Brownsbacker would be like stealing a child’s ice cream cone just to shove it in the poor kids face. That’s a special kind of cruel…
Yah, but if you knew the kid you would know he is annoying little brat that needs his butt kicked.
He’s got to be a parody account, maybe a Steelers fan clowning, there’s no way somebody would be that blind of a homer or as dumb as they appear here.
Neh I’m pretty sure he’s real. I’m friends with many browns fans, they’re out of touch with reality
They’re trying to find men online (not that there’s anything wrong with that). Why else would someone brag about their body and upload shirtless photos of themselves on a site catering to men?
And trust me, you’re not the guy that could do it. And Rippermagoo is such a tough guy that he makes comments but blocks me from responding. You definitely play fantasy football.
How about a full season for both of them?
A full season playing the California penal League? Sure why not… That’s where they both belong.
Do the Trashtros have an asterisk? You gotta admit that was terrible. They’re hated as much as the Browns
The NFL/Roger should ABSOLUTELY extend the ban to more than the full season. A year and a half because you know they will appeal. But, force them to make the choice.
You can play this year while you appeal on a chump change salary, but you risk being suspended for the entire second season when your salary jumps up considerably
Either way, Watson deserves to miss significant time. 6 games is a joke and a slap in the face to fans and women.
It’s also a slap in the face to not pursue criminal charges and just settle if you truly want “Justice”
Justice means different things to different people.
Then the Browns can squirm trying to figure out his 25m cap figure & also paying someone to start for them. 6 games is ridiculous considering other suspensions that have been handed out
if he gets an indefinite suspension, all this just rolls over a year, so they get him on the team an extra year and next years salary is only $1 mil
Like zero for Kraft? In case you didn’t know, paying for sex is a crime…..and he’s on video too
You’re sexist and need to second guess a female judge that’s all. Robinson made the right decision according to the NFL rules.
Who cares about what the PA wants. They’d be smart to realize that it’s a losing battle trying to defend Watson.
Can’t imagine Goodell thinking a slap on the wrist is enough.
True, and you’d think the work would’ve already been done in advance. The appeal should’ve already been drafted just needing the discipline to be announced so they could submit it.
It’d be a really bad look to change the suggested suspension after they just spent weeks getting a ruling from an independent arbiter. Why would they waste Judge Robinson’s time just to basically make their own ruling? Doesn’t make a lot of sense
Same reason why our legal system is bogged down by appeals, the process allows for it.
Just because she made a decision doesn’t mean it was a good one. That’s why the NFL ultimately has final say. Not saying they will actually do what’s right.
Goodell will suspend him for a year. Watson won’t appeal using the excuse of ” just want to end this”. In actuality, if he is suspended for 2022 he loses less than $1MM if he is suspended for 2023 he loses $46MM. Not a hard choice to make.
You suggest suspending him for a year which is only 2022 so he loses his $1.035mil salary, how would he lose his 2023 salary? And in that scenario it’s possible he doesn’t pull a salary this season and it just pushes the deal back a year.
NFL can tack on extra games on his suspension. If the presumably 1 year suspension is accepted and not challenged in court, Watson begins his suspension immediately and loses his 2022 salary of $1M.
If they challenge a year long suspension in court, and it takes a year to sort out like the Brady saga, he could start serving his suspension in 2023, which has a hefty salary of $46m.
You do the math. It’s not rocket appliance.
tread lightly, this may be an instance where the NFL goes above the indep decision
6 games reflects the moral integrity that defines the nfl.
Place a monetary wager on your team banned for 2 years, insider trading toasts your career for a couple years, Ped gets you banned for 6 games but unwanted perverse sexual interactions gets the same 6 games and now your new team needs to become like a ‘pimp’ and find you new interaction sexual partners.
Quite the message being broadcast here NFL.
Do it, NFL!
Time for them to define where they stand. If they don’t increase the suspension to at least a year, then we know they don’t care about their fans. It is time for the fans to tell them we don’t care about them anymore and to STOP SUPPORTING THE NATIONAL FELON LEAGUE.
The problem is a lot of people see massage therapists as sex workers, they are not.
If he went online looking for attractive female real estate agents and then exposed himself to them and asked for sex while being shown a house, he would be looked at and charged differently.
It is pretty simple. Have respect for women. But, this is impossible for people that have been raised not to respect anyone, including themselves.
If the NFL lets this stand they have clearly communicated that player conduct is irrelevant…it’s just about $$$$. Just a few months back the NFL was suspending players from games/paychecks due to not wearing their masks. Now they can remove their towels AND ask for “happy endings” with similar outcomes???
Brownsbacker, Brownsbacker, Brownsbacker!
Did he magically appear?! I NEED his take on this!!
He always responds instantly, as if the room he occupies in his moms basement has an alarm anytime a post here requires his input. Maybe he got locked out when logging out and getting back in under his other user IDs…
Hard to keep them all straight
It’s called notifications. Maybe you don’t know what that is. Just sitting here watching the local news and multitasking.
Multitasking? For you that must mean rubbing one out while thinking of Deshaun in a Brownies uniform.
The polish do love their sausage
I think you’re just like Watson only he liked women. I really think you like guys. You talk about it too much
Calvin Ridley gets suspended for a whole season for placing a few bets on his team.
Deshaun Watson gets all touchy feely for 30 women and gets six games. That’s one game for every 5 women.
‘Well there wasn’t enough evidence.’ What do you think all these massage parlors are going to have 4KHD cameras in there private rooms where the massages take place? I get this ish is hard to prove but thirty accusations should tell you something went down. Do you really think that 30 women got together to conspire on how to take down a top 15 QB? In that case, I really got nothing to say about it. Listen, there’s only two options here…
1. You decide he’s innocent and you give him no suspension.
2. You agree that he sexually assaulted 30 women and decided that six games is enough.
This league has ruined careers over weed, PEDs, and placing a little parlay bet, meanwhile, you treat sexual assault like shoplifting a gum-ball.
This 100%. I’m frequently reminded of Dave Chappelle’s R Kelly skit back in the day
Some of those 30 women didn’t get assaulted enough because they kept seeing him. How do you explain that? I don’t think they realized they were assaulted until their lawyer told them they were
Deshaun didn’t go to them, he flew them in to him. He knew he would be able to prey on them more easily if they were on his turf. It was all premeditated.
Y’all haven’t seen where the chairman of the Miami Dolphins got smacked down good and hard for tampering with other clubs’ property.
You know why?
Watson: “How long?”
Ham Porter: “FOR-EVER”