Watson, who played four seasons with Houston before being traded to Cleveland in March, recently settled 23 of 24 lawsuits filed by women alleging sexual harassment and assault during treatments in 2020 and 2021. The NFL has three days to appeal the ruling by retired federal judge Sue L. Robinson. “Although this is the most significant punishment ever handed down to an NFL player for allegations of non-violent sexual conduct, Mr. Watson’s pattern of conduct is more egregious than any previously reviewed by the NFL,” Robinson wrote. at the conclusion of her 16-page report. . Although the only discipline in the collective agreement is a fine or suspension, Robinson stipulated as a condition of reinstatement that Watson must “limit his massage therapy to sessions conducted by the Club and to massage therapists approved by the Club for during his career”. It added that Watson must have “no adverse involvement with law enforcement and must not commit additional violations” of the personal conduct policy. The NFL Players Association has already said it will abide by Robinson’s decision. If either side appeals, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell or a designee will make the decision, according to the terms of the CBA. The union could then try to challenge that decision in federal court. The league had pushed for an indefinite suspension of at least a year and a fine of at least $5 million for the 26-year-old Watson during a three-day hearing before Robinson in June, two people familiar with the discussions told The Associated Press. on condition of anonymity because the hearing was not public. Watson, who signed a fully guaranteed $230 million, five-year deal, will lose only $345,000 if the suspension stands because his base salary this season is $1.035 million. His $45 million signing bonus is not affected by the suspension. In a statement, the league thanked Robinson for reviewing “the voluminous record … that resulted in finding multiple violations of the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy by Deshaun Watson.” “In light of its findings, the league is reviewing Judge Robinson’s imposition of a six-game suspension and will decide on next steps,” the statement said. Watson can continue to practice and play in exhibition games before his suspension begins in the first week of the regular season. He can return to practice in Week 4 and be eligible to play on Oct. 23 when the Browns play at Baltimore. He was in training camp with the Browns and continued to get the most reps with the first-team offense, which will be handed off to backup Jacoby Brissett while he’s out. Deshaun Watson, left, and Jacoby Brissett talk before practice Saturday. (David Dermer/The Associated Press) After learning the ruling was imminent, the NFLPA issued a joint statement with Watson on Sunday night, saying they would not appeal Robinson’s decision and urging the league to follow suit. “Every player, owner, business partner and stakeholder needs to know that our process is legal and will not be tarnished based on the whims of the League office,” the association said in a statement. While the NFL pushed for a stiff penalty, the union had argued that Watson should not be punished at all because he was not convicted of any crime. Two grand juries in Texas declined to indict Watson on criminal complaints filed by 10 of the women. It was a first for Robinson, who was appointed jointly by the NFL and the union to handle player misconduct — a role previously held by Goodell. Watson, a three-time Pro Bowl selection with the Texans, has seen his career stall because of the allegations. He sat out the 2021 season after requesting a trade before the allegations came out. In their lawsuits, the women accused Watson of exposing himself, touching them with his penis or kissing them against their will. A woman claimed that Watson forced her to perform oral sex. Watson denied any wrongdoing, insisting any sexual activity with three of the women was consensual. He insisted publicly that his goal was to clear his name before agreeing to confidential financial settlements with 20 of the women on June 21. “This case started because one woman had the courage to step forward and make her voice heard,” said attorney Tony Busby, who is representing the women in the civil lawsuits. “Her courage inspired many others with the same experience. None of this saga would have happened without this brave voice. One person can make a difference. Buzbee said that while some of his clients “have strong feelings” about the NFL’s procedures, he noted that the NFL’s political process and disciplinary process are “very different.” “My role was to advance my clients’ case, in civil court — nothing more. I did that. I am very proud of these women and the efforts of our legal team. The settlements are confidential. I will not comment further on them,” he said. Regarding the suspension decision, Buzbee noted that his team was not involved in that process. “We don’t know what was presented to Judge Robinson by the NFL’s attorneys. We don’t know how the NFL’s case was presented,” he said. He added that “only a small fraction of these women we represent have ever been spoken to by NFL attorneys. Beyond that we cannot speculate and have no comment on the decision.”
The NFL is facing renewed scrutiny
Watson’s high-profile case has renewed scrutiny of the league’s handling of player misconduct, along with its support for women, and left the Browns wondering if they’ll ever find a franchise quarterback. Since the trade, Watson has been on public display, with fans questioning whether the league had the authority to ban him from playing despite the fact that no criminal charges have been filed. The league was sensitive about its image and disciplined Watson after he was criticized for his handling of previous domestic violence or sexual misconduct cases against women involving Baltimore’s Ray Rice, Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger and Kareem Hunt of Cleveland. including. For their part, the Browns were widely condemned for signing Watson. The team was desperate for a long-term answer at quarterback — it had 32 championship starters since 1999 — and many wondered why the team would take a player with so much baggage. During his introductory news conference following his trade to Cleveland, Watson was adamant about his innocence. “I have never assaulted, disrespected or harassed any woman in my life,” he said at the report, where he was joined by Browns general manager Andrew Berry and coach Kevin Stefanski. “I was raised differently. That’s not my DNA. That’s not my culture. That’s not me as a person.”
Confidentiality Arrangements
He repeated those comments three months later during Browns minicamp, insisting his only goal was to clear his name. However, a week later he settled 20 of the civil suits. Any remaining lawsuits could go to trial, but not until 2023, after both sides agreed to wait until next season. On July 15, 30 women settled lawsuits against the Texans after they claimed the team ignored and enabled Watson as he harassed and assaulted them during therapy sessions. The terms of the settlements were kept confidential. Despite Watson’s legal involvement, the Browns — along with several other teams — went after Watson after the first grand jury declined to indict him. Initially, Watson rejected the Browns. But Cleveland owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam lured him to the richest fully guaranteed contract in league history up to that point. Watson had other offers, but chose the Browns and waived his no-trade clause to join a team coming off a disappointing 8-9 season. Cleveland completed the deal on March 18, agreeing to send Houston three first-round draft picks and six overall picks for Watson. The Haslams said any concerns they had about his character or behavior were eased when they flew to Houston with Berry and Stefanski and spent time talking to Watson. An All-American at Clemson, Watson was drafted by the Texans with the No. 12 pick in 2017. He started six games as a rookie before passing for 4,165 yards and 26 touchdowns in his sophomore year. Watson has developed into one of the league’s top QBs, rushing for 4,823 yards and 33 TDs in 2020 despite playing on a Texans team that went just 4-12.
