Disciplinary officer Sue Robinson will hear arguments from the NFL, NFLPA and Deshaun Watson‘s camp Tuesday. That will precede an initial decision on the punishment, if any, the veteran quarterback will receive ahead of his first Browns season.
But the NFL or NFLPA can appeal Robinson’s verdict. That appeal would be decided by the league, which is believed to be pushing for a significant suspension. The league and the union entered settlement talks about a Watson punishment earlier this month, but those negotiations broke down. The NFL’s push for a year-long Watson ban is believed to have led to the parties shutting down the settlement talks, Albert Breer of SI.com reports.
The NFL has met with several of the women who have accused Watson of sexual misconduct and/or sexual assault, and the league will focus on five of those cases when it makes its case to Robinson, Breer hears. The five accusers with the most evidence to include in a presentation — from texts to social media messages to payment records, etc. — will be prioritized, Charles Robinson of Yahoo.com notes.
The league has been connected to pushing for an indefinite suspension of Watson — one the Wall Street Journal’s Andrew Beaton notes would be for at least a year. This would help give the NFL an avenue to keep Watson suspended into 2023 based on new civil lawsuits. This would stop the league from having to suspend Watson twice, a prospect that was loosely floated earlier this offseason. The league has also spoken with women who did not sue the quarterback, Breer adds.
A civil suit against the Texans surfaced Monday. It came from one of the four women who has not settled her own suit against the former Houston quarterback. The lawsuit against Watson’s former team reopens the door to additional suits against him.
“It is now known that in many of Watson’s multiple massage interactions, more than massage therapy occurred — indeed, with at least thirty different women, the ‘more’ that occurred included unwanted sexual advances and outright sexual assault by Watson,” the suit states, per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. “Each of those thirty-plus women, most of which are complete strangers to one another, experienced strikingly similar conduct from Watson.”
Twenty of the QB’s 24 accusers have settled. More women coming forward with accusations would put the proceedings in a murky place, if Robinson’s decision and/or an appeal lead to Watson not receiving an indefinite suspension.
This is what the accountability process in never never land looks like.
1 year isn’t enough. 4 games each (amended to 2 games per verifiable assault) seems very fair and matches past precedent.
Sadly, because the NFL is a business and the Browns have invested so much money (and draft capital), it will likely be a 1 year suspension.
With 24 accusers if Mr. Watson was to get suspended for 6 out of the 17 weeks of the NFL season, that would be one quarter of a game per accuser.
Mr. Roethlisberger received 6 games and comprehensive behavioral evaluation for one accuser.
I suggest you let that one marinate.
Ben was suspended after his second accusation.
Hotel employee in Vegas. College girl in Millegeville.
Ben? You mean the human scumbag? Let’s be consistent
If you want to be consistent, you’d be defending Ben. But instead your morals and standards are determined by jersey color.
I’ve said Ben was a rapist for years.
And I never did. Frankly I don’t even remember reading much about it. The only thing I remember thinking was that Roethlisberger was too old to be hanging out in a college bar.
There is literally post after post on this site where you call Ben a rapist, but OK…let’s accept that lie from you for a second for the sake of argument…
Just above you refer to Ben as a “human scumbag”.
If he’s not a rapist, what is it that led you to referring to him as a “human scumbag”?
Because that’s what Watson was described as. I’ve never really cared about any of the other guys except that they must be treated equally. Watson is a pervert but I don’t believe he forced anyone. He said he didn’t and there were no police reports that he did. Roethlisberger biggest issue is he never took care of his body. There’s a reason Brady and Rodgers are the quarterbacks they are
It’s because they don’t stuff their faces with junk food and they work out.
So, in order to defend Watson, you now defend Ben.
Look forward to you explaining how you don’t judge Jack The Ripper and the evidence is uncertain, at best.
Nothing but a show for the media. The Watson contract terms tell you the NFL decided upon the length of the suspension months ago.
Yup, I had the feeling they tipped their hand back when that deal was done.
No. The terms were decided by the Browns. Not the NFL. I’m not even sure the NFL has signed off on that contract yet?
They were foolishly decided by the Browns, but I have to believe they went into those negotiations with a strong idea of where the NFL was sitting in regards to discipline.
Chemical castration + 0 game ban who says no
the NFL’s sponsors.
We can chemically castrate them too.
Think Pete Rose level ban.
You know one of the worst thing about this is that Ray Rice career was over after what he did and this guys does a worse thing on 20+ women and get a big new contract and the NFLPA behind him 100%
If I remember correctly, the union was behind Rice too until the video surfaced.
Then I don’t get y their behind Watson you don’t settle in court if ur Innocent right?
If it’s cheaper you do. Lots of people settle
Because there is no video. The media mob is stupid and beloved by stupid people. Without video it’s just not as dramatic. Most people these days have small brains and attention spans. If there was video Watson would be in jail, because let’s be honest even though there are multiple women willing to testify that he committed a crime nobody believes them. If there was video Watson would be banned for life from the NFL.
Yeah, that’s called proof. I don’t believe Watson physically raped anyone. I believe he exposed himself and propositioned the women. Some accepted. Some even continued to see him. Not usually the reaction when someone physically rapes you. I think counseling and a 8-17 game suspension is warranted. As long as he doesn’t offend anymore, then he should be reinstated. I don’t think the league has anymore evidence than the Grand Juries.
He has never and is not being accused of rape. It’s called sexual assault. Touching someone with your penis without their permission is sexual assault. Ejaculating on them without their permission is sexual assault. It is difficult to prove these cases in most situations because there’s going to be virtually no physical evidence. The only evidence you would have would be the testimony of the victim. Which is why when you have over 20 of them testifying to these encounters it is appalling that no charges were ever brought against Deshaun Watson. The man deserves to be criminally charged. Maybe not go to jail. He’s clearly got problems. I don’t know that he needs to be locked in a cage, but he shouldn’t be playing in the NFL. He gave that privilege up.
How can he ejaculate on someone that doesn’t want it? I don’t know about you, but it’s generally doesn’t take 3 seconds. They could have left the room. Your response makes no sense
Every single one of your Deshaun fanboy responses makes zero sense.
You can’t answer that except with an insult. Shouldn’t you be working or do you have night shifts at 7-11?
Maybe Watson has premature ejaculation. Might be why he had the NDAs. Would be sad for an NFL player to shoot his wad early. Or maybe embarrassing. You don’t know what was being done at the time. Could have been hot rocks or cupping. She might have left the room and he rolled a bit to do it. She was putting the stuff away she turned and that is how his DNA got on the blue dress. Also could have been at the beginning he got undressed was on the table and ready when she walked in. I don’t get how you can fiercely defend him and make excuses for him.
As far as the grand jury goes they needed 3 innocent out of twelve. Maybe they were fans and they looked through perverted glasses or fan’s glasses like you. The GJ isn’t perfect there are twelve people on it and they bring in their prejudices with them.
You sound like you’re living a fantasy when you describe this. Yuck
It’s a shame honestly that as a browns fan for my entire 43 years of life, having watched them as a kid with kosar, mice to Baltimore them come back and be complete garbage only to have such hope, followed but this f*^% stain of a human being.
I just can’t get behind him..
And you had a QB that loved that team and city and literally played on a dead arm because of such. Led you to your first playoff win in over 2 decades. Yeah he wasn’t the greatest in the league but when healthy was in the upper half of the league QBs which is all you needed on that team.
….and they treated him like garbage, called him a “child” and ran him out of town…for a sexual predator.
It is the true fans that I feel bad for. Your FO is awful you have a winning or had formula and they destroyed that. The locker room will probably be divided I even feel bad Brownsbacker even though he is on the wrong side of this.
Locker room isn’t divided from what I read from the Cleveland writers. It was with Baker. Defense didn’t think he should have been starting and half the team was on Beckhams side. I think that’s the biggest reason they got rid of him. Then he questioned the head coach in the media. I liked Baker too, but he was extremely immature. Why do think the Browns are having a hard time trading him? He wanted to go to the Colts but they would rather have a fast declining Ryan instead
Yea man I had no problems with baker, none at all.
You remember years ago when you beat the Seahawks 9-7? That was one of the worst NFL game I have seen. LOL Both teams were bad.
The Browns knew what they were getting. They knew Watson would be lost for up to a year. They actually benefit with the indefinite suspension wording because his contract rolls over according to the Cleveland writers, which means they still will have him for 5 years.
Not as much as the Houston Texans. Thanks for that top five draft pick in 2023
They won 8 games last year with the 26th rated quarterback. I think they can duplicate that with Brissett. He doesn’t turn the ball over like Baker
LOL Brissett was awful in Miami. Clumsy runner and couldn’t make the throws. I physically was at the games.. Underthrown balls. GOOD LUCK
Dolphins had no offensive line or running game. Not like Cleveland’s. Brissett was ok for indy. The Browns were a game away from winning the division with a lot of injuries and the 26th rated quarterback. I’m not expecting playoffs but they’re not going to be the worst team in the league. Probably about 7 or 8 wins
Let him play.
Why did the Browns want to get involved in this mess? I am asking for real. They paid hundreds of millions of dollars and spent significant draft capital to acquire this horrible situation and a guy who will likely be 2 plus years removed from football when he gets back in the field.
Desperation and ineptitude.
The question of the day.
Because they’re the Browns?
Up to 30 now, huh?
Fully guaranteed. No matter what else comes out.
Wrong. Wording says that there must not be more accusations. Watson and the Browns may have already known about these which would negate the out. This is just the league trying to save face and recommend a tough suspension. The NFLPA has a strong case for Watson. I’d love to hear the league’s excuse as to why Kraft didn’t get anything. Prostitution I guess they feel isn’t morally wrong
Whether any of us like it or not a prostitute is a willing participant to a certain degree. Shoving your penis in a woman’s face and ejaculating on her without her consent or permission is far worse than paying a woman to give you an HJ
It’s still violates the Code of Conduct rules not to mention laws in every state. Kraft was arrested. Watson wasn’t. So I guess drug deals should be ok since both parties are willing participants?
Dude really thinks a year is too much? Lol. He should have signed immediately and taken his year.
Bauer got 2yrs & it was consensual.
Roethlisberger got 4 games and it wasn’t
Trevor Bauer will never pitch again in Major League baseball because it was not consensual. Because he is an jerkhole who beats women while having sex with them. How disgusting are you for defending him. Terrible!
Bauer is a jerk and I don’t really care one way or another but he does have text messages kinda proving that it was consensual
Kobe’s were consensual too I guess. Who doesn’t like a good beating during sex? Everyone forgets about that and thinks he is so great. I get reminded when I see the million dollar ring on her finger. This is the same all sexual assault one just had the bruises as proof. How did that turn out for her?
Bryant is a terrible man. Some of us don’t forget
Lots of rich people pay off accusers. Politicians, athletes, business owners, movie stars. Again, what Kobe did or didn’t do has no effect on me. I let the lawyers and the authorities handle that. I mean you people act like I don’t think Watson shouldn’t get any suspension. He should. I’m fine with 8 games to a year but I also believe that the owners, especially Kraft should have received something too. They are held by the same Code of Conduct. His, if I remember was more of a joke on here than about the fact that he participated in sex trafficking
One year is too lenient. Should be two years.
Honestly I think one year would have been ok if he didn’t rework his contract to move money to next season. He gave a middle finger to the NFL by doing that.
Garrett and Ward have the same contract setup. Who’d they assault?
Nobody, but that’s irrelevant. It’s crystal clear why Watson did so when he has a fully guaranteed contract.
Big Ben got what 3-6 games for violent and forcible …. Watson has 30 gross stories. They will use precedent when it comes to this and he’ll get a year ban and after appeal 12 games. It will not be more than a year based on the fact Big Ben was more deplorable and less punitive.
I hear all about all the anger and outrage people have about this situation and I read that the NFL is pushing for a years suspension. But it’s all a load of mule fritters because the NFL head office and commissioner don’t actually care how this breaks, as they are not invested in it. One would think that they are but they are only interested in the PR spin. Fans don’t give a crap either. And I wish they’d all stop pretending to. I have had it up to my eyeballs with all your mock outrage. Who is going to boycott the NFL? Or at least the Houston Texans and Cleveland Browns? Damn few of you. Sure as hell not enough to make a difference. Ya’all have taken away a woman’s right to her own body by reversing Roe vs Wade so NOBODY really cares about the women that Watson assaulted. You don’t care. If you did you would do something about it. You would take some kind of action. So stop pretending this is an actual issue for you. Because whenever Watson hits the field for the Browns and tosses his first TD in front of a full stadium in Cleveland tens of thousands of fans….many of them female will screaming and cheeringfor him and all this will be forgotten. Because nobody honestly cares. More people care about violence against animals than they do women.
If Watson were on their team, he’d have much more support. He is on my team but even if he wasn’t, it wouldn’t bother me whatever he got. Honestly, I don’t feel like Watson is any worse than Trump or Bill Clinton and they have millions of supporters.
Reversing Roe V Wade has nothing to do with this situation. The supreme reversed a previous ruling of which that Supreme Court had no authority to make in the first place. They corrected a wrong by putting the decision back into the voters hands by allowing states to decide. This is what a democracy is about. Your power to vote. As far as the BS of a woman’s right to her body….. she has a right to not get pregnant in the first place. The people have forgotten that actions have consequences. Sick of hearing about it
But making you wear a mask for 5 minutes in a grocery store was “tyranny”, right?
This topic always gets alot of comments. Looking at it from an inside perspective one can’t see them bringing him back EVER? With the gender equality campaign they waged these past years it just goes 180°? If they do allow him back, whenever its an obvious slap in the face to fans and that protect the shield nonsensical message they’ve been selling.
What did he do? Shouldn’t he have at least been arrested and charged? Kraft was at least arrested. Nothing happened to him. Where was your gender equality then. And genius, gender equality is not about sexual harassment. Maybe the league is gonna hire these women. That’s gender equality
Opposing teams should hire all 66 masseuses to stand on the sidelines during their Browns games.
That was stupid
Does Watson pay you on the side to defend him on social media or are you just a 12 year old with a Watson poster in his room?
It’s called evidence. What don’t you people understand. I bet you’re a Trumper
Everyone on this site should simply ignore FudgePacker9 responses as he has no original thoughts to contribute.
And your original thought is to ban the guy for life despite no real evidence. You are a real idiot. Everyone on here is childish with the gay references.
And the Browns should hire Brownsbacker9, he’d sign that NDA and willingly perform anything DeShaun requested from those women.
He needs to be ban for good to teach all involved a lesson. You don’t reward someone after being publicly announced a rapist 24 times. Take that salary and donate it to a charity and put Watson where he belongs, in prison.
Show me the article where he’s been accused of rape? Publicly announced? What the heck does that mean? You mean accused? Watson will be back