Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson was suspended for six games Monday for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy following accusations by two dozen women in Texas of sexual misconduct during massage treatments, in which a disciplinary officer said it was behavior “more egregious than any previously reviewed by the NFL.”
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 retired federal judge Sue L. Robinson’s decision.
“While this is the most significant punishment ever imposed on an NFL player for allegations of nonviolent sexual conduct, Mr. Watson’s pattern of conduct is more egregious than any previously reviewed by the NFL,” he said. write Robinson at the conclusion of his 16-page report. .
Although the only discipline in the collective agreement is a fine or suspension, Robinson ordered as a condition of reinstatement that Watson should “limit her massage therapy to club-directed sessions and club-approved massage therapists during her career.” .
It added that Watson must not have “any adverse involvement with law enforcement and must not commit any additional violations” of the personal conduct policy.
The NFL Players Association already said it would 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 sought an indefinite suspension of at least a year and at least a $5 million fine for Watson, 26, 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 five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed contract, will lose only $345,000 if the suspension does not change 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 extensive record … which resulted in the discovery of multiple violations of the NFL’s personal conduct policy by Deshaun Watson.”
“In light of his 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 practice again in Week 4 and could play on Oct. 23 when the Browns play at Baltimore.
He’s been in training camp with the Browns and has continued to get the majority of snaps with the first-team offense, who will step into Jacoby Brissett’s backup while he’s out.
After learning that the ruling was imminent, the NFLPA issued a joint statement with Watson on Sunday night, saying they will not appeal Robinson’s decision and urging the league to follow suit.
“All players, owners, business partners and stakeholders deserve to know that our process is legitimate and will not be bewitched at the whims of the League office,” the union said in a statement.
Although the NFL pushed for a severe 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 charges filed by 10 of the women.
This was the first case 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 pick with the Texans, has seen his playing career halted by the allegations. He sat out the 2021 season after demanding a trade before the allegations surfaced.
In their lawsuits, the women accused Watson of exposing himself, touching them with his penis or kissing them against their will. One woman claimed that Watson forced her to perform oral sex.
Watson has denied any wrongdoing, insisting that 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 strength to step forward and make her voice heard,” said attorney Tony Buzbee, who represents the women in the civil lawsuits. “His courage inspired many others with the same experience. None of this saga would have happened without that 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 civil process and the NFL’s disciplinary process “are very different.”
“My role was to advance my clients’ cause, in civil court, nothing more. I have done that. I am very proud of these women and the efforts of our legal team. The settlements are confidential. I will not comment further.” , he said.
Regarding the suspension decision, Buzbee noted that his team was not involved in this process.
“We don’t know what was presented to Judge Robinson by the NFL’s lawyers. We don’t know how the NFL’s case was presented,” he said.
He added that “NFL attorneys only spoke to a small portion of the women we represent. Beyond that, we cannot speculate and cannot comment on the decision.”
Watson’s high-profile case has renewed scrutiny of the league’s handling of player misconduct, along with its support of 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 no criminal charges.
The league has been sensitive to its image and has issued appropriate discipline for Watson after he was criticized for his handling of previous cases of domestic violence or sexual misconduct against women involving Baltimore running back Ray Rice, the Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and Cleveland running back Kareem Hunt. among others.
For their part, the Browns were widely condemned for signing Watson. The team has been desperate to find a long-term answer at quarterback (they’ve had a league-leading 32 starters since 1999) and many wondered why the team would take a player with so much baggage.
During his introductory news conference after being transferred to Cleveland, Watson was adamant about his innocence.
“I have never assaulted, belittled or harassed a woman in my life,” he said on the podium, 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.”
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 cases. Any remaining lawsuits could still go to trial, but not until 2023 after both sides agreed to wait until after next season.
On July 15, 30 women settled lawsuits against the Texans after they claimed the team ignored and enabled Watson while he harassed and assaulted them during therapy sessions. The terms of the agreements were kept confidential.
Despite Watson’s legal entanglement, the Browns, along with several other teams, went after Watson after the first grand jury declined to indict him.
Watson initially turned down the Browns. But Cleveland owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam lured him with 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 by agreeing to send Houston three first-round picks and six total selections for Watson.
The Haslams said any concerns they had about his character or behavior were eased when they flew to Houston along with Berry and Stefanski and spent time talking with 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 become one of the league’s elite QBs, throwing for 4,823 yards and 33 TDs in 2020 despite playing on a Texans team that went just 4-12.
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