What happens if Deshaun Watson is suspended indefinitely by the NFL?

When the Cleveland Browns got into dealing for Deshaun Watson, they were well aware of his legal troubles. In fact, a great deal of effort was made to make sure that a season-long ban would not unduly inconvenience either party.

With the sea-change that has become more and more apparent in the NFL, particularly surrounding the public’s reaction to MLB suspending Trevor Bauer for two full seasons, the punishment looming on the horizon for the former Houston quarterback has seemed more ominous than first thought.

With the announcement that Watson has reached a settlement with 20 out of the 24 civil suits filed against him, the real danger could be the length of the ban. Andrew Beaton of the Wall Street Journal has reported that the expected suspension is to be a minimum of one year, and there is the possibility that it could be indefinite.

This puts the Browns into a bit of a bind. Not so much financial, that part is well covered, but in terms of what they will do with their long suffering offense.

If you are hoping that they might bring back Baker Mayfield, you can just forget about that. Those bridges have been well and truly burned.

In the off-season, the Browns signed a one-year deal with Jacoby Brissett, ostensibly as a back-up, but also as a fall-back plan. They could simply let him take over the ship.

Another rumor swirling around the Twitterverse is the idea that they will make a play for Jimmy Garoppolo. This one is harder to fathom, with the big money shelled out for Watson, it is not likely that the Browns will have pockets deep enough to entice him away from the 49ers.

There are a few great quarterbacks out there, and with names like Colin Kaepernick publicly stating that he is willing to take backup duties, the Browns should settle on someone fast. Because their showpiece signing looks like he is going to be a no-show for the foreseeable future.