Deshaun Watson suspended six games
The Browns quarterback will be suspended for six games for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy, following the ruling by Sue Robinson.
The situation around Deshaun Watson seems to have come to an end after almost two and a half years as disciplinary officer Sue L. Robinson has made her decision on the Cleveland Browns quarterback’s punishment.
What sanction will Deshaun Watson face?
Judge Sue Robinson has ruled that Deshaun Watson violated the NFL’s personal conduct policy and has ruled to suspend him for six games.
The NFLPA along with Watson announced, through a press release, that they will not appeal the disciplinary sanction taken by Judge Robinson over the quarterback’s situation at the Browns. Also, both the union and the player have urged the league to abide by the decision of the former Federal Judge. The statement read as follows:
“In advance of Judge Robinson’s decision, we wanted to reiterate the facts of this proceeding. First, we have fully cooperated with every NFL inquiry and provided the NFL with the most comprehensive set of information for any personal conduct policy investigation.
“A former Federal Judge - appointed jointly by the NFLPA and NFL - held a full and fair hearing, has read thousands of pages of investigative documents and reviewed arguments from both sides impartially.
“Every player, owner, business partner and stakeholder deserves to know that our process is legitimate and will not be tarnished based on the whims of the League office. This is why, regardless of her decision, Deshaun and the NFLPA will stand by her ruling and we call on the NFL to do the same.”
According to multiple reports, the league wanted the quarterback to have an indefinite sanction with at least one year out of action and a financial penalty of five million dollars. If either the NFL or the union want to challenge the ruling, they will have to submit an appeal in writing within three days from the ruling.
Why is Deshaun Watson being sanctioned?
The quarterback was accused on 16 March 2021 over alleged sexual harassment, with 24 woman having come forward. Two juries from different Texas counties found him not guilty in the lawsuits and refused to charge Watson.
Despite the accusations, the Cleveland Browns traded him to the Houston Texans and made him the quarterback with the highest guaranteed salary in the league. In June 2022 Watson reached settlements with 20 of the plaintiffs. As per John Barr at ESPN, three more are now expected to be settled.