Sue Robinson’s long-awaited ruling came down Monday, but that may well only be part of this saga instead of a conclusion. The NFL and NFLPA have 8am CT Thursday to file appeals, via ESPN.com’s Jake Trotter (on Twitter).

While the NFLPA said it would not appeal Robinson’s ruling, it would be unlikely the union stands down in the event the NFL appeals. Roger Goodell or a commissioner appointee will oversee an appeal, as outlined in the 2020 CBA. The NFLPA has been linked to taking this matter to court, should Goodell bump this ban up to a full season.

From the NFL’s side, an appeal is under consideration. Its statement indicated a review of Robinson’s ruling is ongoing (Twitter link). While the NFL did not make its push for a full-season suspension a secret, the NFLPA is still displeased with Robinson’s decision for a six-game ban, per Josina Anderson of CBS Sports (on Twitter). The union “firmly maintain[s]” Watson should not have been suspended for his alleged sexual assault and/or sexual misconduct against more than 20 women.

In her report, Robinson labeled Watson’s pattern of nonviolent sexual conduct as “more egregious than any before reviewed by the NFL.” Watson had denied all allegations of wrongdoing, but the report indicates “It is difficult to give weight to a complete denial when weighed against the credible testimony of the investigators who interviewed the therapists and other third parties.” Robinson’s ruling also prohibits Watson from seeing a non-team-approved massage therapist for the rest of his career.

Robinson sided with the NFL by stating Watson violated the personal conduct policy on all three counts (sexual assault, conduct that endangers a person’s well-being and safety, and conduct that undermines the NFL’s integrity), ESPN.com’s Jake Trotter tweets. The gray area of this being deemed nonviolent sexual conduct came into play regarding the six-game suspension, but Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes Robinson’s findings — including a passage that deems it is more likely than not Watson lied to NFL investigators — could point to Goodell having enough justification to increase the Browns quarterback’s suspension length.

Given the NFL’s push for a full-year ban and its effort to protect against PR backlash, it is not hard to see a scenario in which Goodell follows through with adding games to Watson’s suspension. This would open the door to an NFLPA countermeasure that moves this to court. The CBA and recent precedent would not be on the union’s side in court, but a legal process playing out could delay Watson’s ban. Tom Brady and Ezekiel Elliott were able to play under injunctions; Watson could end up doing the same. Brady and Elliott, however, did end up serving their commissioner-determined suspensions eventually.

Before today’s announcement of the suspension Deshaun Watson will be facing (pending any potential NFL appeal), there was another important development in his legal situation. The number of civil suits he faces continues to drop, and now sits at one. 

[RELATED: Watson Suspended Six Games]

The embattled Browns QB has reached settlement agreements with three of the four women who had filed outstanding claims against him, per ESPN’s Jake Trotter. At one point, Watson faced 24 suits relating to his alleged sexual misconduct dating back to his time with the Texans, but in June, 20 of those cases were settled.

“After lengthy and intense negotiations, I can confirm that, late last night, our team resolved three of the four remaining civil cases with Deshaun Watson,” plaintiffs attorney Tony Buzbee said in a statement (via Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio). “We will continue to discuss the remaining case with Watson’s legal team, as appropriate.” As was the case with the original 20 settlements, details of the agreements will remain confidential.

Of note is the fact that Ashley Solis – the first woman to file suit against Watson and go public with her accusations – is among the three women to reach settlement agreements, as reported (on Twitter) by Trotter’s colleague John Barr. The identity of the lone remaining accuser is unknown at this time, leaving it unclear whether or not she is the one who also sued the Texans for their alleged role in enabling Watson’s behavior.

That case, along with 29 potential others, was settled in July. As a result, the Texans are thought to be clear of any wrongdoing in association with Watson’s league (or, potentially, judicial) punishment. If the one outstanding case makes it to civil court without being settled, the trial process will not take place until after the 2022 season, per the terms of an agreement between Watson’s legal team and that of the plaintiffs.

A little over a month after the Deshaun Watson hearing wrapped, a decision from disciplinary officer Sue L. Robinson is finally expected. Robinson’s ruling is set to be delivered “by roughly 9 a.m. Eastern” tomorrow (Monday) morning, according to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network. 

It was announced when the hearing concluded after its third day that the decision would likely be delayed as Robinson called for post-hearing briefs, which were set to be due by July 11. When these summaries were finally submitted, Robinson planned to deliberate for at least a week with some from USA Today predicting that a decision may still be weeks away from then.

Predictions for the length of Watson’s ban have been rampant for awhile now, ranging anywhere from as little as six weeks to as long as a full season. The most recent reports have disclosed that Cleveland is “privately bracing for an eight-game suspension.” While it’s nearly certain Watson will be missing some time, it’s still unclear just how much.

The longer the Browns have been clueless to how long they’ll be without their new starting quarterback the longer the Browns have had to wait to address the situation. For now, they feel confident in letting newly signed backup Jacoby Brissett fill in during a short Watson-absence, but they reportedly would plan to sign another quarterback to back up Brissett if Watson receives a lengthy suspension. After months of waiting, the Browns should finally be able to act on a plan moving forward tomorrow.

Following Robinson’s ruling, the appeal process is likely to begin. Unless Robinson rules Watson did not violate the NFL’s personal conduct policy, both sides can appeal. The final result will almost certainly not be known until the Browns begin camp, and it could come well into the team’s preseason workouts.

The Deshaun Watson saga is still crawling along, but updates on the Browns related to their embattled QB continue to be provided. Included among them is the expectation the team currently has for the length of Watson’s pending suspension. 

Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reports that the Browns “privately are bracing for an eight-game suspension” being handed down to Watson. That would constitute the high end of the two- to eight-game range which Florio reported yesterday was the most likely conclusion to the league’s disciplinary process. A ban of any length could, of course, be appealed, meaning that a decision being rendered by former judge Sue Robinson won’t bring immediate closure to the situation.

In the event Watson is sidelined for the first two months of the season, attention will naturally turn to Cleveland’s subsequent QB move(s). The Browns will target a backup to Jacoby Brissett as insurance in the short-term, something made possible in no small part by the league-leading cap space they currently have, a figure which exceeds $48MM. To that point, Florio notes “chatter about the possibility of the Browns adding Cam Newton.” The 33-year-old rejoined the Panthers last season, starting five winless games. Their addition of Mayfield will push him to find a new home, as he did in 2020.

Another stopgap option consistently floated around is Jimmy Garoppolo. It was reported last week that Cleveland making a significant push to trade for the 49ers signal-caller would be considered surprising. On the other hand, PFF’s Doug Kyed reports that the Browns “did their homework” on Garoppolo during the spring (Twitter link). They are the only team currently capable of absorbing the 30-year-old’s $24.2MM salary in 2022, the final year of his contract, in full.

Nothing will be known with more certainty until Robinson’s decision is handed down, and any resulting appeals process plays out. As a team aiming for a Super Bowl run, and facing a conference full of talent-rich opponents, the Browns could ill-afford to stumble, or likely even tread water, in the early portion of the season. How they react to Watson’s discipline will therefore remain a hugely relevant storyline in the build-up to the campaign.

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.