Bengals’ Jessie Bates Signs Franchise Tender
Franchise-tagged Bengals safety Jessie Bates is back with the team. The fifth-year defender is at Cincinnati’s facility Tuesday and intends to sign his franchise tender, Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports (on Twitter). The Bengals subsequently announced Bates signed his tag.
Bates represented the NFL’s last 2022 no-show, but it has long been expected the former second-round pick would not miss any games. Bates and Bengals coaches kept in touch during his stretch away from the team, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets, noting the team expected him back in time to ramp up for the regular season.
While Bates and the Bengals cannot resume negotiations until 2023, the Wake Forest product continuing to stay away into the regular season would have cost him. Despite Bates voicing frustration about the tag, the $12.9MM salary represents a massive raise for the four-year starter.
The Bengals and Bates have negotiated for two offseasons but have failed to come to terms. The team’s first-round selection of Daxton Hill could be viewed as a move that separates the two sides come 2023, though fellow veteran Bengals safety Vonn Bell is also in a contract year. The Bengals are open to continuing their Bates negotiations in the 2023 offseason. However, it is far from certain if the parties will forge a long-term partnership.
Cincinnati could still trade Bates, but the defending AFC champions are not expected to do so. Bates, 25, has started all 63 Bengals games he has played. He stands to be an integral part of their veteran-laden defense in 2022. Bates missed Bengals training camp and nearly a month worth of practices. He is, however, hardly the first franchise-tagged player to have stayed away from his team during preseason workouts.
“Zero progress” is believed to have occurred during this offseason’s round of talks, which produced an offer Bates’ camp deemed unsatisfactory. The Bengals are believed to have offered a deal that included just $16MM fully guaranteed. That figure ranks outside the top 12 at the position. The safety market has also changed since the Bengals and Bates began talks this offseason. Minkah Fitzpatrick and Derwin James have signed deals north of $18MM per year, with the Chargers defender moving the market to $19.1MM on average. It is highly unlikely the Bengals will go there for Bates, who can be kept on a 2023 tag worth $15.5MM.
For now, it appears the sides will continue a year-to-year partnership. Bates is coming off a year in which he delivered a modestly productive regular season before being one of the team’s top performers during the playoffs. Bates, who graded as Pro Football Focus’ top safety in 2020, intercepted two passes and broke up six more in Cincinnati’s four postseason games this year. Although the Bengals’ decision to tag Bates spoiled a chance to cash in on a long-term deal as a 2022 free agent, another strong season would put him in position to be one of the top defenders available on the 2023 market.
NFL, NFLPA Reach Settlement; Browns QB Deshaun Watson Banned 11 Games
The NFL and NFLPA moved to decide the Deshaun Watson matter via settlement. After off-and-on talks for months, the league and the union came to an agreement Thursday. Watson will be suspended 11 games and fined $5MM, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com reports (on Twitter).
Counseling will also be mandatory for the Browns quarterback, per the settlement. Watson said last week he had begun counseling. This agreement, a five-game bump from the original suspension announced by disciplinary officer Sue Robinson, will prevent this saga from spilling into court — long rumored to be the NFLPA’s course of action if a full-season ban came down.
Although Watson will not be permitted to play in games until December, he can return to the Browns’ facility Oct. 10, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The recently traded quarterback can resume practicing Nov. 14.
Settlement talks did not progress too far ahead of Robinson’s initial suspension, but with appeal appointee Peter Harvey expected to bring stronger punishment, the NFLPA became more amenable to negotiating with the league. Prior to Robinson’s ruling, the league was willing to drop its push for a full-season ban. The NFL was open to a 12-game penalty and a fine of at least $8MM. While this suspension and the fine are not quite what the league wanted initially, the NFL’s desire to see Watson sidelined for much of this season will come to fruition.
While Watson’s absence will obviously hinder the Browns’ hopes at a successful 2022 season, this settlement does open the door to his debut being in Houston. The Browns, who have a bye in Week 9, will travel to face the Texans in Week 13. Watson, 26, was with the Texans for five seasons — the last of which as a non-playing member on the 53-man roster.
It remains to be seen if Cleveland will stick with Jacoby Brissett for the duration of Watson’s suspension, as Jimmy Garoppolo connections have increased in recent days. Andrew Berry would not yet confirm Brissett would start Week 1, with Pro Football Focus’ Doug Kyed noting the third-year GM only expressed confidence in the Watson fill-in (Twitter link).
Unless a Garoppolo trade happens soon, or in the unlikely event Sam Darnold retains his starting Panthers job, Week 1 will feature a Brissett-Baker Mayfield matchup. The Browns will not have Watson for games against the Jets, Falcons, Chargers, Patriots, Dolphins, Bills, Buccaneers and initial games against each of their three AFC North rivals.
One of the 24 women who filed civil lawsuits against Watson alleging sexual assault and/or sexual misconduct during massage therapy sessions has not settled her case. Absent a settlement, that matter will be tabled to 2023. Unless more lawsuits come down, this saga is on the homestretch regarding punishment. Two grand juries did not bring charges against Watson, but Robinson ruled he violated the NFL’s personal conduct policy by committing nonviolent sexual assault. Roger Goodell said last week the league found the Browns QB committed multiple violations of the policy, leading to the appeal.
With the CBA giving Goodell power to appeal and ultimately, via Harvey, follow through with a 17-game ban, the league would have been favored to prevail in a court case. It did so against Tom Brady and Ezekiel Elliott, who served their suspensions — after delays — despite court fights. The Watson drama, due to the volume of accusers and the nature of the alleged misconduct, became one of the highest-profile off-field matters in NFL history. Thus, it is unsurprising to see the league go forward with a settlement that prevents a weeks- or months-long court battle.
In the leadup to this settlement, Watson appeared to show more remorse for the alleged off-field misconduct. A Goodell statement Thursday indicated Watson “committed to doing the hard work on himself that is necessary for his return to the NFL.” The sixth-year QB has never admitted wrongdoing, however, and continued to lean in that direction Thursday, saying (via CBS Sports’ Aditi Kinkhabwala, on Twitter) “I have always stood on my innocence” and that he “never assaulted or disrespected anyone.”
“I’m looking forward to just moving forward with my career and being able to get back on the field as soon as possible,” Watson said. “That’s the plan, to continue to grow as a person, an individual, and keep moving forward.”
Watson, who missed much of his rookie season due to an ACL tear, will end up missing 28 games in connection with these allegations. The Texans held off on trade talks for much of last year, after Watson had requested to be dealt just before his off-field saga began, and the three-time Pro Bowler’s market cooled once the controversy erupted. Houston deactivated its former starter for all 17 games last season. The Dolphins came closest to trading for Watson in 2021; at that point, the QB was only believed to have waived his no-trade clause to go to Miami. But the now-Mike McDaniel-led Dolphins moved forward with Tua Tagovailoa this year, opening the door to one of the most unusual trade sweepstakes in NFL history.
The Browns, Falcons, Saints and Panthers met with the embattled quarterback this year, and while Carolina was in on Watson the longest, Atlanta was believed to be the passer’s preference. That is, until the Browns came down with their historic five-year, $230MM fully guaranteed contract offer. The Texans traded Watson to the Browns for a package headlined by three first-round picks. Watson’s former employer is now in position to see the quarterback whose off-field actions led to the franchise being sued — producing 30 settlements with Watson accusers — come December 4.
Thursday’s settlement will prevent Watson’s contract from tolling. The NFL also increased the monetary penalty for a quarterback attached to a $1MM 2022 salary — a point of contention among the league and its 31 other teams. Watson will lose the $5MM and a $632K of his 2022 base salary. His 2023-26 salaries — which are in line to produce league-record cap numbers ($54.99MM) — will be unaffected.
NFL, NFLPA Remain In Deshaun Watson Settlement Discussions
Nearly two weeks have passed since the NFL appealed Deshaun Watson‘s suspension, and with the prospect of a Peter Harvey appeal ruling that comes down much harder on the Browns quarterback, settlement talks appear to be ramping up in earnest. A resolution could come by Wednesday or Thursday, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com tweets.
While settlement talks between the NFL and NFLPA took place before the initial hearing before Sue Robinson in June, no resolution emerged. With Harvey expected to add games to Watson’s ban, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes a settlement is back in play. Talks have persisted over the past few days and could well produce a long-elusive settlement, per ProFootballNetwork.com’s Aaron Wilson and cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot. Although settlement talks are producing optimism, per Wilson, the NFL is negotiating from a position of strength due to the expectation Harvey would side with the league regarding Watson punishment.
An expedited Harvey ruling has been expected, but Roger Goodell‘s appointee has been in the spotlight for two weeks now. Settlement talks are not playing into Harvey’s timetable, Cabot adds (on Twitter). Watson’s camp is, however, hopeful an agreement can come to pass before Harvey rules, Graziano adds.
A settlement would potentially prevent Watson from being sidelined for all of 2022. The recently traded passer is willing to accept an eight-game suspension that accompanies a substantial fine. Long tied to wanting a yearlong ban, the NFL was believed to be willing to move to a 12-game penalty as long as a hefty fine — in the neighborhood of $8MM, though SI.com’s Albert Breer notes the NFL wanted the fine to be around $10MM — and treatment came along with it.
In deeming Watson committed nonviolent sexual assault during massage therapy sessions, Robinson ruled the quarterback violated the league’s personal conduct policy. As such, the NFL would mandate treatment in any settlement offer, Breer adds. After being dinged throughout this process for a lack of remorse, Watson shifted in tone Friday, saying (in an interview with WEWS-TV’s Aditi Kinkhabwala, video link) he wants to continue counseling. A $10MM fine would be in line with what Watson made in 2021, when he collected a $10.54MM base salary while not playing for the Texans.
The effort to hand down a considerable financial punishment is also connected to the Browns’ contract structure — in which Watson’s $230MM extension calls for a veteran-minimum salary in 2022, largely to shield the former No. 12 overall pick from losing much of that money — irking the NFL. Watson’s cap numbers spike to record-setting places come 2023; he will be tied to $54.99MM figures from 2023-26. If Watson does not play in 2022, his contract tolls to 2023 and thus runs through 2027.
A settlement would also prevent this matter from being dragged into court. The league has wanted Watson off the field this season, but it would surely appreciate not seeing this matter spill over into court the way Tom Brady and Ezekiel Elliott‘s 2010s suspensions did. The NFL prevailed in both cases, but both players saw preliminary injunctions lead them to the field while those court cases played out.
If Watson’s suspension “significantly increases,” a Browns trade for Jimmy Garoppolo could reenter the equation. Conflicting reports have emerged on the team’s interest in the 49ers trade chip, and it would be interesting to see how the Browns proceed if a settlement moves Watson’s penalty to the 10- or 12-game range.
Chargers, Derwin James Agree To Safety-Record Contract
After a lengthy hold-in effort, Derwin James is now the highest-paid safety in NFL history. The Chargers and James agreed on a four-year extension Wednesday morning, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter).
James and the Bolts agreed to terms on a deal worth $19.1MM per year, per Rapoport. The $76.5MM pact comes with a safety-record $42MM guaranteed and $29MM in Year 1. James, who is now the only safety attached to more than $40MM guaranteed, is also now tied to a higher average salary than all but five cornerbacks.
This windfall follows the likes of D.K. Metcalf, Deebo Samuel and Diontae Johnson of staging hold-in measures and being rewarded. But the Bolts and their top safety have been negotiating for months. This also represents a considerable reward for a player who battled extensive injury troubles over the course of his rookie contract.
From 2019-20, James played in just five games. An August 2019 stress fracture in James’ right foot shelved him for much of that season, and a meniscus injury during training camp in 2020 ended up sidelining the former first-round pick for all of that season. During his two healthy years, however, the Florida State product has been one of the NFL’s best defensive backs. The Chargers rewarded him as such and will count on the 26-year-old talent for the next several seasons.
After sliding to No. 17 overall in the 2018 draft, James became the first pure safety to earn first-team All-Pro recognition as a rookie since the AFL-NFL merger. He delivered a versatile debut season for the Chargers, who waited patiently for his return. Last season, James finally re-emerged on the career path he began to traverse as a rookie. Pro Football Focus rated him as a top-10 safety in 2021. James made a career-high 118 tackles (seven for loss), forced three fumbles, collected two sacks and intercepted two passes last season.
The Chargers now have two DBs making high-end money, giving James a monster extension after signing J.C. Jackson to a top-10 cornerback contract. The two will be tasked with spearheading a defensive turnaround. Despite James’ contributions, Brandon Staley‘s first Chargers defense ranked 26th in defensive DVOA. This offseason, the Bolts reloaded and will surround James with more talent. Jackson, Khalil Mack, Sebastian Joseph-Day and Kyle Van Noy are now in the fold for what is expected to be an AFC contender.
Wednesday’s transaction illustrates a changing safety market as well. After Justin Simmons broke through the $14MM-per-year ceiling in 2021, when the Broncos rewarded their twice-franchise-tagged player, Jamal Adams came in with a market-resetting deal at $17.5MM per year. At the time of Adams’ agreement, the Seahawks had created a $2MM-plus AAV gap between Adams and the field. The Steelers, via their $18.2MM-AAV deal with Minkah Fitzpatrick, and Chargers have now topped that this summer. The league’s first $20MM-per-year safety accord may not be far off.
GM Tom Telesco has rewarded both his 2017 and ’18 first-round picks this offseason, with Mike Williams‘ three-year, $60MM deal preceding James’ re-up. This comes after 2016 first-rounder Joey Bosa signed a long-term second contract. The Chargers, for this year at least, have the benefit of building around 2020 first-rounder Justin Herbert‘s rookie contract. The Chargers are acting accordingly. In Bosa, Mack, Jackson and James, the Bolts have four defenders making at least $15MM per year.
Patriots RB James White To Retire
Injury questions have clouded James White‘s timetable for months now. Although White re-signed with the Patriots on a two-year deal this offseason, the veteran receiving back will instead walk away from the game.
The eight-year veteran announced Thursday (via Twitter) he will retire. White, 30, sustained a severe hip injury in September 2021 and had not resumed practicing. One of the steadier Pats skill-position players of the Bill Belichick era, White was uncertain to regain the form that made him a trusted passing-down back. But he will retire as a key member of four Patriots Super Bowl teams. Three of those won championships, one doing so with significant White contributions.
White followed in the footsteps of Kevin Faulk, Danny Woodhead and Shane Vereen. While Woodhead and Vereen enjoyed nice runs as Tom Brady outlet options, White lasted much longer in the role. The Patriots valued White to the point they signed him to four contracts as a pro. The most recent, coming in March of this year, was worth $5MM.
The Wisconsin alum will be best known for his work in Super Bowl LI, arguably the signature night for the Belichick-Brady Patriots. While Brady understandably ran away with MVP honors, White scored three touchdowns in a performance that doubled as one of the greatest aerial displays by a running back in NFL history. The former fourth-round pick caught 14 passes for 110 yards and a touchdown against the Falcons. White added six carries for 29 yards and two scores — the last of which being a walk-off TD to end the only overtime game in Super Bowl history. White’s 5-yard TD reception began the Patriots’ rally from a 28-3 deficit; his 1-yard run late in the fourth quarter (preceding Danny Amendola‘s two-point conversion) sent the game to overtime.
Vereen was still in place during White’s rookie season, minimizing the latter’s role in the Pats’ Super Bowl XLIX-winning campaign, but the Pats let Vereen walk in free agency in 2015. White took over and held the gig for the better part of the next seven years. White surpassed 400 receiving yards from 2015-19, topping out with 751 during the Pats’ most recent Super Bowl year (2018). From 2015-20, no running back topped White’s 3,161 receiving yards.
But White’s 2021 signaled a clear turning point. He suffered a hip subluxation injury in Week 3 of last season and landed on the Pats’ active/PUP list to start training camp. His Week 1 availability and 2022 role altogether were in doubt because of the malady. The Pats’ final White contract only guaranteed him $500K, giving the team options in case its trusted passing-down option could not recover from the injury.
New England drafted two backs this year — Kevin Harris and Pierre Strong — and returns starter Damien Harris and second-year contributor Rhamondre Stevenson. None of these players caught more than 20 passes last season. With Brandon Bolden(41 catches in 2021) following Josh McDaniels to Las Vegas, a questions as to who will pick up White’s job will linger for New England.
White, whose top contract came in 2017 (four years, $12MM), retires as one of the most prolific pass-catching running backs in playoff history. His 59 receptions rank fourth all time for running backs in the postseason, behind only Thurman Thomas, Tony Nathan and Roger Craig. White’s 381 regular-season catches rank eighth in Patriots history, just behind Faulk — a 13-year veteran who finished with 431 career grabs.
Sean McVay Confirms Rams Extension
Amidst the several headline-grabbing financial moves the Rams have made this offseason, it has been widely expected that a new deal for head coach Sean McVay was among the team’s priorities. He confirmed on Tuesday that a new contract has indeed been agreed upon (Twitter link via Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic). 
McVay made the announcement during a press conference; details on the length and value of the deal are still unknown, and likely will be for some time. He added that the team will wait to officially announce it until an extension with general manager Les Snead is finalized, tweets NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
“Les and I have always been a pair,” McVay said, via ESPN’s Sarah Barshop. “We wanted to be able to announce that when both of us [had] gotten done. Mine is done. Les is in the process of that.”
The 36-year-old recently spoke about his decision to decline a broadcasting deal and remain on the sidelines with the defending champions. The possibility of his departure loomed over their Super Bowl victory, but McVay had two years remaining on his contract before today’s news. He has also widely been expected to receive a substantial raise from the $8.5MM annual value of his old pact.
Likewise, it comes as little surprise that McVay and Snead will be re-upped simultaneously. The two signed joint extensions in 2019, and have achieved significant success together. A new contract for Snead was considered an inevitability once those of Matthew Stafford, Aaron Donald and Cooper Kupp were taken care of. McVay’s remarks point to both extensions being made official in the near future.
With much of their championship core still intact from last season, the Rams are contenders to repeat in 2022. With McVay (and, all-but assuredly, Snead) remaining at the helm for several years into the future, their intermediate future looks positive as well.
NFL Approves Rob Walton As Broncos Owner
Rob Walton‘s $4.65 billion bid for the Broncos has led to his officially becoming the franchise’s owner. At a Tuesday owners’ meeting, Walton’s Broncos acquisition received approval. Owners unanimously voted to approve Walton’s purchase, Roger Goodell said.
The Walmart heir now becomes the NFL’s richest owner — by a gargantuan margin. Walton’s approximately $70 billion in net worth is more than triple the NFL’s previous richest owner. His Broncos purchase nearly doubled the previous NFL record of $2.3 billion — set by Panthers owner David Tepper in 2018.
This transition ends the Bowlen family’s run as NFL owners. Pat Bowlen, who bought the Broncos in 1984, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019. Seven of the franchise’s eight Super Bowl berths came under Bowlen’s leadership. But the late owner’s battle with Alzheimer’s led to the Broncos being put in the Pat Bowlen Trust. The NFL at one point was behind Bowlen’s youngest child, Brittany Bowlen, taking over eventually, but a squabble between other Bowlen children ended up scuttling that plan. The Broncos went up for sale in February, and Brittany recently stepped down from her post inside the organization.
Walton’s daughter, Carrie Walton Penner, and her husband, Greg Penner, are expected to run the day-to-day Broncos operations. Walton, 77, should be expected to be the team’s representative when owner votes are required. The Walton ownership group has swelled in recent weeks as well. Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Formula One superstar Lewis Hamilton have signed on as part-owners, joining Starbucks CEO Mellody Hobson in that capacity. Walton’s group has spoken with Peyton Manning about a possible role — a long-rumored scenario — but nothing definitive has emerged on that front yet.
This marks one of the most pivotal offseasons in Broncos history. Their new coaching hire (Nathaniel Hackett) will obviously play a major role in how the team fares in the near future, but the trade for Russell Wilson and the transition to Walton as owner represent bigger-picture moves for the organization.
Walton’s deep pockets will probably come into play regarding Wilson’s guarantee — one almost certain to venture into nine-figure territory. Walton’s approval also could lead to Wilson extension talks taking place this year. That matter could be tabled to 2023, but with more than a month between Walton’s transition and Week 1, the door is open for the Broncos to begin discussing a monster Wilson re-up.
Bears LB Roquan Smith Requests Trade
Roquan Smith‘s hold-in effort has taken a turn. The standout linebacker does not appear on the cusp of being extended and is instead requesting to be traded from the Bears.
The fifth-year defender put out a statement (via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, on Twitter) indicating the Bears have failed to negotiate in good faith and do not appropriately value him. Noting he has not yet spoken with the McCaskey family during his extension talks, Smith pins the blame on a new Bears regime that has attempted to “take advantage of me.”
This request stems from the Bears submitting a “take it or leave it” offer that would be “bad for myself and the entire LB market,” Smith adds, and Rapoport notes the team’s backloaded proposal contains de-escalators and does not top Shaquille Leonard‘s $19.7MM-per-year Colts contract (Twitter link). The linebacker market moved last year, when Leonard and Fred Warner‘s deals came in above Bobby Wagner‘s previous positional record.
Both Leonard and Warner — each part of Smith’s draft class, though their non-first-round statuses made them priorities a year ahead of Smith — are signed to accords north of $19MM per year. Like Wagner, Smith is not believed to have an agent. A family member has advised him during the Bears’ negotiations. The Bears chose Smith eighth overall in 2018, and their defense is now short on veteran contracts.
Smith is coming off a season in which he played all 17 Bears games and made a career-best 163 tackles. Despite playing off the ball, Smith has 14 career sacks as well. Pro Football Focus, however, rated Smith outside its top 60 off-ball ‘backers in 2021, interestingly rating his run defense as far inferior to his coverage performance.
Smith’s accolades do not match Leonard’s or Warner’s, complicating these negotiations. But he is undoubtedly pushing to join those standouts atop the linebacker market. Earlier this summer, Ryan Poles said a new deal before the season was not a lock but indicated discussions ahead of camp were on tap. The former top-10 pick has upped the pressure on the rookie GM. Smith, who is on the Bears’ active/PUP list, is currently tied to a $9.735MM fifth-year option salary.
A zero-time Pro Bowler but a two-time second-team All-Pro, Smith is one of the final veterans standing from a top-tier Bears defense. The team traded Khalil Mack, cut Danny Trevathan and Eddie Goldman and let Akiem Hicks leave in free agency. Robert Quinn was linked to wanting a trade earlier this offseason, and while the veteran now seems somewhat out of place on what has become a rebuilding team’s defense, he said late last month he is not seeking to be dealt. But Quinn has already signed two big-ticket deals. Smith, 25, is seeking his first veteran contract.
Considering the salary cap’s stabilization, after 2021 brought just its second-ever reduction, Smith almost certainly would not accept a deal south of C.J. Mosley‘s $17MM-per-year accord. That sits third on the linebacker spectrum, with the Seahawks shedding Wagner’s contract in March. The Bears would have the option of the franchise tag in 2023, though that route is not as clear-cut as it is with most other positions. Since outside and inside linebackers are grouped together on the tag, the position carried the second-highest tag price ($18.7MM) this year. That lofty figure limits the Bears’ options with their extension-seeking middle ‘backer.
The Bears are carrying more than $18MM in cap space, placing them in the top 10 for available funds. They are also eating more than $57MM in dead money, with previous Mack restructures responsible for much of that figure. Smith’s trade request comes a year after Allen Robinson detailed frustrations about his negotiating efforts with the Bears, though Smith’s frustrations lie with new front office personnel.
The Georgia product said he wanted to stay with the Bears throughout his career but does not “see a path back to the organization.” With Smith one of the only foundational pieces left on Chicago’s defense, the ball will be in Poles’ court for the time being.
NFLPA Responds To NFL’s Deshaun Watson Appeal
The NFLPA had two business days to file a brief responding to the NFL’s Deshaun Watson appeal. The union has, as expected, followed through on filing a reply brief (Twitter link).
This matter now goes to appellate appointee Peter Harvey, whom Roger Goodell designated to hear the league’s appeal. Harvey helped the NFL craft its personal conduct policy, and the fact Goodell has selected him to hear its appeal of Watson’s six-game suspension suggests the league is confident more games will be tacked onto the Browns quarterback’s ban.
That taking place puts the NFLPA in a spot in which a court battle seems likely. Since the union did not appeal Sue Robinson’s six-game ban, Watson will miss this season’s first six games. However, a court fight could have him on the field immediately after. A preliminary injunction, as courts deal with this matter, would put Watson in position to play and — assuming the league’s CBA holds up in court — serve two separate suspensions. Or, the union’s legal effort fails ahead of that Week 7 window and Watson serves a longer suspension that covers most or all of the 2022 season. Tom Brady and Ezekiel Elliott played under injunctions, but each served the Goodell-determined suspensions at later dates.
The NFL is again seeking a full-season suspension, its goal for the past several weeks. Robinson ruling Watson violated the league’s personal conduct policy by committing sexual assault during massage therapy sessions gives Harvey the power to increase his suspension. Absent a full-season suspension, the league wants to substantially increase Watson’s fine. The Browns structuring of Watson’s contract, giving the former Texans Pro Bowler a league-minimum salary to minimize his financial punishment in the event of a suspension, has not sat well with the NFL.
Settlement talks between the NFL and NFLPA have occurred periodically, and more clarity has emerged on what each side was willing to accept. The NFLPA spent weeks arguing Watson should not be suspended at all, but Dan Graziano of ESPN.com reports the union was willing to accept an eight-game ban. The shortest absence the NFL was willing to allow was 12 games. If the 12-game suspension was to be put in place via a settlement, Graziano adds the NFL also wanted Watson fined in the $8MM range.
Watson’s camp was not willing to go along with the NFL’s push for an indefinite suspension, per Mike Garafolo of NFL.com, who describes that component as a lead driver in breaking off the settlement talks (video link). As it stands now, Watson is set to lose less than $500K from his six-game ban. A full-season absence would only cost him his $1MM base salary.
This process, which involved 25 civil lawsuits filed against the recently traded quarterback, will be designed to conclude expeditiously, ESPN.com’s Jeff Darlington relays (on Twitter). No additional hearings are forthcoming, only Harvey’s decision. After that, it could spill over into court. The Browns are set to give their starting job to Jacoby Brissett during Watson’s absence, with Josh Dobbs and Josh Rosen serving as reserve options.
Steelers, Diontae Johnson Agree To Deal
Given the state of contract talks between the two sides, many felt that 2022 would be Diontae Johnson‘s final season in Pittsburgh. Instead, he will be on the books beyond that, as he has agreed to terms on a two-year, $36.71MM extension (Twitter link via NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo). 
Johnson had one year remaining on his rookie contract, so this deal will keep him in place through 2024. The relatively short term will give him an opportunity to hit the open market while still in his 20s. The extension will bring an end to the former third-rounder’s ‘hold-in’ during training camp, which has helped bring about new deals for a number of wideouts from the decorated WR class of 2019.
Garafolo adds that the contract includes $27MM in guaranteed money, and InsidetheBirds.com’s Adam Caplan tweets it includes a $17.5MM signing bonus. The deal will pay the 26-year-old $19MM in its first year (Twitter link). Overall, the annual average of $18.355MM ranks significantly lower than that of new deals signed by the likes of A.J. Brown, D.K. Metcalf, Deebo Samuel and Terry McLaurin this offseason. It was clear throughout this process that the Steelers wouldn’t match that level of compensation, with the $20MM-per-year mark being labeled a bar the team was unwilling to clear.
Pittsburgh remained able to come in short of that plateau, but still land the Pro Bowler at a reasonable rate. Having improved in each of his three seasons to date, Johnson eclipsed 1,000 yards last season as the team’s top pass catcher. Assuming he maintains that level of production going forward, a rate fractionally above that of Christian Kirk could prove to be significant value at a position which has seen a skyrocketing market in recent months.
Johnson’s new pact represents the second major extension taken care of by new general manager Omar Khan this offseason. The team already finalized a record-breaking deal with safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, leaving them free to turn their attention to Johnson. The lack of substantive progress at any point this offseason – marked by the organization’s insistence that they would not deviate from their internal valuation of the Toledo alum – pointed to Johnson playing out this season and securing a new deal in free agency (which, in all likelihood, would have allowed him to earn notably more than the value of this extension).
Instead, he will continue to operate as the Steelers’ top wideout as they transition to the post-Ben Roethlisberger era at quarterback. Headlining a young offensive nucleus including fellow receivers Chase Claypool and George Pickens, along with running back Najee Harris and tight end Pat Freiermuth, Johnson is set to take another step forward with his financial future now taken care of.