The Deflategate and Ezekiel Elliott dramas showed NFL suspensions do not necessarily provide off-field sagas’ final acts. Deshaun Watson and the NFLPA appear prepared to extend an already-lengthy matter to court, if the NFL’s goal of a full-season suspension becomes reality.
A full-season ban would prompt the Browns quarterback and the union to sue the NFL, Charles Robinson of Yahoo.com tweets. Despite no ruling having been made yet, Robinson notes the two parties currently at odds with the NFL have already made plans to sue.
This lawsuit would occur if disciplinary officer Sue Robinson bans Watson for a full season or if the NFL overturns her ruling and pushes through a full-year suspension. After 24 women sued Watson for alleged sexual misconduct and/or sexual assault — during a process that led to the Texans settling with 30 women in connection with their former quarterback’s off-field behavior — the league has long been rumored to push for a punishment that keeps the new Cleveland QB off the field for a full season. Positioned to oversee the appeal process, Roger Goodell can ensure this happens. If this journey heads down that path, another NFL legal drama looks like it will commence.
Neither Elliott nor Tom Brady ended up seeing their suspensions vacated, though each stalled their respective punishments. Brady played the entire 2015 season but ended up serving a four-game ban in 2016. An injunction allowed Elliott to play after initially being suspended in 2017, but a notable back-and-forth with the NFL in court led to the Cowboys running back serving his six-game suspension that year. Watson would also face an uphill battle, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, who notes the latest CBA negotiating a clear policy — an independent arbitrator ahead of a Goodell-overseen appeal, a procedure put in place via the 2020 CBA — would work against Watson in court.
These lawsuit plans may be tested. Would Watson still take the league to court if he is suspended for much of the 2022 campaign, but not all of it? Some around the league believe Watson will play in 2022, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com writes. As for when the next step here (the appeal stage) will take place, Charles Robinson adds Sue Robinson’s decision could drag into Browns training camp (Twitter link). This would move the appeal stage into the preseason and potentially up against the start of the regular season. If Watson is suspended for much or all of the 2022 slate, the Browns are planning to add another quarterback. But this to-be-determined passer would back up Jacoby Brissett, not replace him as the starter.
Isn’t it great when the person accused of living in the sewer becomes the suer?
Bring it on.
Watson thinks he’s the victim of injustice loll can’t make this stuff up
Well, if Mary Kay Cabot and Brownsbacker9 both say he’ll play this year, they should let him…
I understand a lot of people want to see this situation blow up in the league’s face, but what exactly could they have done better? They have had every reason to demand the suspension they have and the PA continues to dig in and refuse any negotiation.
Wow, just when you think a guy couldn’t be any more of a dirt bag.
I get the union has it job, but I’d love to know what other players around the league think about this situation and facing Watson.
Using past behavior or owners might be a comparison but if the league doesn’t step in and set a new precedent then you might as well forget code of conduct.
It amazes me that the NFLPA is suing for Watson but not for Ridley.
Ridley flat out broke a rule when betting and received the standard discipline that goes with it, which much different than this case.
I’ve never seen where it states that it’s an automatic one year suspension. In fact the violation portion is generic. Discipline is decided by the commissioner and can be anywhere from a fine to banishment.
Gambling is in the rule book, he’s suspended indefinitely, but is reviewed year to year so he’ll likely be back in one.
“NFL Personnel are restricted or prohibited from engaging in the following gambling-related activities, regardless of whether such activities are legal:
1. Betting on Football: All NFL Personnel are prohibited from placing, soliciting, or facilitating any bet, whether directly or indirectly through a third-party, on any NFL game, practice or other event. This includes betting on game outcome, statistics, score, performance of any individual participant, or any other kind of “proposition bet” on which wagering is offered.”
I read that which is why I pointed out that it doesn’t dictate a 1 year suspension. It’s at the discretion of Goodell. But you’ve never heard a peep from the NFLPA over it.
Guess they’d rather defend someone with serious mental issues over a gambler
It’s indefinite, and is reviewed annually. He’s dead to rights, no way out of this. An active player openly betting on games has some mental issues as well.
That’s the problem. Why set a new precedent now? The Code of Conduct was in effect for Kraft, Jones and Snyder and now all of sudden you want to start enforcing it? How would you feel if your employer started disciplining you for being late if he never disciplined anyone else for being late even though there was a clause in the contract that said being late was an infraction that warranted discipline. Would you just accept it? You’d be a fool if you did and your union would be negligent if it just allowed it
Did you read this? Why set a new precedent now?
It’s called admitting your mistake and addressing heinous behavior
But they could have done that with Kraft. Kraft was arrested and charged. Watson wasn’t. I’m not saying Watson shouldn’t get a suspension for the negativity but you do have to question why Kraft didn’t get anything for his bad publicity…..and crime. If it wasn’t for a technicality, Kraft would have been convicted because he was on tape.
I was all for Kraft getting suspended but this kind of behavior cannot continue to be ignored.
This guy has issues beyond the NFL. I seriously hope he’s getting mental health help.
Lost in all this is the victims. It’s not one or two, it’s 24 or more.
And I think the Texans should be punished just as severely as Watson
Some of these women didn’t even know they were victims because they kept seeing him. Who does that? I mean it’s one thing not to report it, but they couldn’t tell the guy they were booked up?&
You are the fool who conflates paying a woman to have sex with you and raping a woman. You are sick and demented
Show me where Watson was ever accused of rape. There isn’t any. Now there is proof that the Astros cheated and stole the World Series. If those guys got 1 year, I’d say Watson should get 4 games. You’re just mad because he didn’t want to play for the worst team in football anymore. The Texans.
How to win friends and influence people. Good call Deshaun. They’ll surely suspend your ass for a year now.
And then he’ll sue and probably play this year.
And lose in court and than lose out a a much much larger salary next year… cool with me.
That was my thinking. The Browns structured the contract so his game checks this season was minimal. But if he gets suspended next year, that’s going to be costly.
Not necessarily. If he is suspended for the entire season, his contract rolls over. Instead of it going from 2022-26, it goes from 2023-27. He won’t get a full season though. Apparently the NFL was trying to negotiate a 12 game suspension and Watson’s camp turned it down.
That’s not true. Suspensions & their contracts don’t roll over for players. The guys popping on PED’s aren’t getting those 6 game checks back.
I’m going to take the word of the Browns beat writers. I’ve read it 2 or 3 times. Just read it yesterday because they said it may be better for the team if Watson gets a full season as opposed to 12 games because of that
You don’t disappoint hollering for the Browns. But I have never heard of any pro organization rolling over contracts on suspended people. Is the MLB pitcher, a 2 year ban, going to have 2 more years added to his contract? No & you know it.
You can research it. I’ve read it a few times. Either it’s an NFL rule or it’s in the contract. The Browns beat writers know more than anyone on this site posting comments. That’s their only job so they need to be right
From a man that hasn’t practiced law in over 2 decades is your merit, ok. I have never heard of a legal suspension in pro sports allowing for the players to roll over their contracts.
An honest question, is D Hop getting his 6 game suspension rolled over? Or the guy that popped today? I don’t think so.
You read the article. That’s exactly what it says. Just because you never heard of it doesn’t mean it’s not true. Like I said before, I’m gonna take their word before I take yours
Take his word. None of us here care. We laugh at you!
And I laugh at you. Thinking you know football and I just proved you wrong. When I say something, I’m almost always right.
Football and lawsuits are different. I hope you understand that. 6-11 season coming up for ya!
Depends on how many games Watson gets. I didn’t expect playoffs this year but having Watson for 5 years, the future looks brighter for Cleveland than it ever has. They have a very talented roster. They have 10 players on their roster that have made the pro bowl in the last couple of years.
link to profootballtalk.nbcsports.com
You know I hate to be right
If you’re a Browns fan, you’re wrong! They haven’t done squat in 50 years.
I agree but I care more about the future than I do the past. Lots of franchises have a good past but they stink today. Bears, Seahawks, Giants. Watching reruns of Eli Manning gets old
He should never be allowed to play a game in the NFL period. But when morons can get behind racists, deceitful, delusional politicians- this sort of proves how uneducated & corrupt America has become.
I agree with you about the politician that you’re talking about but Watson was not accused of rape or even forcible touching. So asking for sex and touching a woman should result in a lifetime ban? I’d say a DUI arrest should get you a bigger ban
In agreement you can call him a perv, creep or anything you want and we don’t really know what happened behind close doors but Kraft broke the law NOT Watson. Why should he be punished n not Kraft. On another note ask how many women in this industry (the out call specialists) get asked for happy endings? They know how to say no and not take that client again. Creeps for sure but these women seem to be pushed for a money grab instead.
Not enough information for a charge cmon nfl let’s move – settle this thing with a 6 game ban – let’s go
17 games
12 with therapy for sex addiction
10 with donation to women charities for like sex trafficking or something
8 with a signed deal stating he will only hire males from now on or be subject to a year long suspension.
Half the season seems fair if he’s willing to correct the behavior.
Why doesn’t he just give Kraft the money you want him to donate to the sex trafficked women and he can drop it off on his next visit
Check or money order?
I certainly wouldn’t trust Kraft or any Patriot
Kraft paid to get a handjob and wasn’t found guilty of anything, but Browns owner Jimmy Haslam screwed many companies out of millions of dollars and many of his top execs were convicted. Yes, that’s the guy who owns the team you so blindly follow, yet you have so much to say about the other owners like Kraft and Jones.
His parents must be so proud.
Gee , I wonder if there’s a chicken head out there willing to marry his bank account????????
He should have a lifetime ban of ever playing in the NFL, if the common man did what he did, they would be in prison, but he can buy himself out of this situation., what is the NFL telling the fans, if they let him get away it?
Forget the NFL, the justice system is the joke.
Goodell has already done a good job of isolating himself from any potential backlash. He’s telling fans he wants a stiff penalty (comical since he has a reputation of being softer than the Pillsbury Doughboy on disciplinary enforcement). He will direct any blame towards Robinson or the NFLPA if need be.
That’s what he’s supposed to be doing. You don’t hire the 3rd party to hear the evidence and try to influence her decision by speaking out on it. He needs to abide by her decision too
Big D….they investigated it and 2 Grand Juries came away with nothing. You should have gone to the authorities with your proof beforehand
I get the PA has to stand up for a players rights and is primarily doing this to try and circumvent a voiding of any guaranteed $, but it has to be hard to support this guy
Valid point but unions in other industries also have to support bad members…guys who miss shifts, show up drunk, vandalize equipment, steal from the company etc.
And lawyers represent guilty people. All unions are is basically your lawyers at work. They negotiate your contract and represent you when you need representation.
It’s all guaranteed money. Try again
Wow! You’ve tried a lot of times to support your guy. You can justify and express your opinion all you want. However, your posting name says it all. Despite all evidence that Watson is a morally reprehensible person who has a multitude of claims against him, you want to spin it so that he can play for your precious Browns. If you lack a moral compass, I’m wasting my time. Go buy a Watson jersey and take your spin with you.
All evidence? You mean the evidence the Grand Juries didn’t seem to think was there? Were you hiding in the closet watching? Of course I don’t want Watson to miss any games but I honestly don’t think that he did anything that terrible. He inappropriately touched women while he was getting a massage. Perv? Yes, but they kept seeing him. How do you explain that?
So, let me get this straight…
IF Deshaun Watson’s camp feels that his suspension is too long, they will sue. Some threat.
Has anyone told Watson or his camp that it will takes YEARS before said lawsuit gets to court?
Goodell should suspend him pending the resolution of that lawsuit.
Threatening to sue is just a standard legal maneuver. Both the NFL and NFLPA want this mess in the rear view mirror soon. Now that they have gone through the required posturing, there will be a compromise that allows each side to save face. Watson will likely serve a suspension in the 8-10 game range.
Lol. Delays for long enough to get the monster contract so he can afford to pay endlessly to fight the league on suspending him for being a rapist. Good work everyone.
Not accused of rape, but keep crying
Great moral high ground there..
Browns fan?
CF….who’s your team? I bet they have someone who isn’t exactly of great moral high ground
Does Watson have a sister? I’m curious if he would behave the way he did to a sister or his mother.
Might be exactly why he acts that way to young block women.
“young black women”
Wow, what a racist comment assuming his victims were “young black women” while insinuating his behavior is linked to something that may have occurred in his family.
He has a sister (it’s called research), and he would likely go after someone who did the same to her. The alleged behavior, which it is until proven, is reprehensible and even if only partially true, should result in counseling at the least. The number of individuals is irrelevant. Settling with them is not an indication of guilt. Anyone with half a brain, which rules out some making comments, knows that high publicity cases bring out people looking to get rich quickly. The expense of fighting this number of cases is often much greater than reaching settlements to make them go away, and will likely have non-disclosure agreements tied to them, so that can’t be used as an argument for or against.
Guilty? Not per the legal system, which yes, often favors the rich unfairly. Sick? Given that some admitted to having sex with him which likely decreased his inhibition to doing and asking more women for the same, maybe. Disgusting behavior from anyone? Absolutely. But as the saying goes, let he who is without sin cast the first stone.
It isn’t that different than trying to pick someone up in a bar hoping to hookup, but for someone of his means, maybe he and the Texans saw it as a way to do that. I think most agree that we wouldn’t behave that way, nor would we want a sister or daughter or friend put in that situation. Pro athletes hookup for sex more easily than most just because of who they are. If it came out that he hooked up with 30 women from Houston bars, many would say “what a lucky dude”. I wouldn’t whip out Mr. Johnson as my pickup line, but I know guys that would do almost as much.
What this comes down to now is how it makes the shield look more than what he allegedly did, and that’s what is really sad about this situation. A logo that is more important than what is morally and legally acceptable. Logically argument over – back to ranters and haters spewing unfounded claims.
Research, showed me he specifically targeted young black females to do his “massages”. People that commit acts like this are driven by events in their lives, again, so says the research. Take your comments about racist comments and shove them up when Deshaun liked his masseuses liked to stick their fingers.
He’s guilty as sin. No one uses that many massage therapist in that few of years. Should be indefinite. P@ssing and moaning? Look how his contract is setup? Only a little over a 1m for first year. Should be a least 2 years so it really hits his pocket book since he didn’t get any jail time. Even the detective said he was guilty.
Guilty of touching someone inappropriately? He didn’t rape anyone. Is he a perv? Yes. And the Browns have set up Garrett’s and Ward’s big contracts the same way. 1 million dollars the 1st year of the contract
yeah … ummm .. no
Officer: “Do you know why I pulled you over?”
Driver: “No”
Officer: “You were speeding”
Driver: “Other cars were going faster, even passing me”
Officer: “License and Registration please”
That’s how it works. You don’t break a law/rule and point at others who’ve done/do it and/or how they were treated.
… and “similar punishment for similar infraction” doesn’t wash either: nearly 30 accusations is the definition of “unprecedented” so looking to Kraft as a benchmark is ludicrous
But you can’t prove other cars were going faster. Watson can prove Kraft was arrested for prostitution solicitation. Answer my question about what you’d do if you were punished at work for violating a rule when others were let off without a punishment. You’d be a fool to just accept it. All law cases have precedents. Ever heard a lawyer reference a specific settled case?
I’d own it and take the punishment because I knew I violated a rule regardless of whether anyone else ever got caught
It’s called accountability: the one thing that has definitely been lost on this generation
I’ll go back even farther:
“Don’t Do The Crime If You Can’t Do The Time”
All this talk about proof must mean OJ was innocent huh
It’s not about whether anyone else got caught. It’s about they DID get caught and nothing was done to them but they punished you. If you’re ok with that, you must be a pushover.
OJ was arrested and charged. Lots of guys don’t get punished for accusations. Trump has 26 accusations and 74 million people voted for him. You need more than accusations. I agree Watson should be suspended but not for assault. For the bad publicity he brought because of his perversion. This is really no big deal
How about a one month ban per abuse victim. Sounds fair to me.
He’ll get no more than 8 games.
The owners don’t perform under a labor agreement, thus their activities can’t be held to the terms of that agreement. Watson, however, is not so lucky. I am surprised that Sue Robinson would even listen to that player versus owner conduct argument, never mind consider it in her ruling.
So, I believe that the one issue no one is addressing is the fact that the NFL and the NFLPA do have a Collective Bargaining Agreement in place.
Any proceeding judge will simply have to read the CBA and determine if the NFL has broken any rules. If not, suck it up better cup you will have to serve your suspension.
He can still sue. Anybody can sue anyone. If Robinson gives Watson a 6 game suspension, I doubt he fights it and I doubt Goodell changes it. It undermines the whole reason why they have an independent judge
So what you are actually saying is….
Yes you agree:
Any proceeding judge will simply have to read the CBA and determine if the NFL has broken any rules. If not, suck it up better cup you will have to serve your suspension.
I don’t think he’d be suing over that. I bet it would be a fairness suit because of the lack of punishment for the owners, one that was actually arrested for receiving sex from a massage therapist. Gee, that sounds like what Watson is accused of. I guess he figured it was ok
Will this put him on the sex offender list?
Maybe if he was actually accused of being a sex offender
Browns fans must be so proud of their new leader.
Browns…seriously. Is winning that important to you?
What was Watson charged with?