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Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson's legal troubles may not have an end in sight, but he'll soon learn how many games the NFL intends to suspend him for.
Reports over the past month have suggested that Watson's ban could last somewhere between two games to the entire 2022 season. But with the NFL's disciplinary hearing now concluded, more concrete reports about the potential length of his suspension have made their way online.
According to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, the punishment, which will be handed down by the NFL's disciplinary officer Sue L. Robinson, will likely range from two to eight games.
Earlier this week, Watson's lawyers leaked the news that the quarterback would sue the NFL in federal court if the league suspended him for the entire season. But with the punishment likely to be a maximum of eight games, which the quarterback can appeal, it seems unlikely that he'll take the matter to court.
Cleveland Browns preparing for life without Deshaun Watson
The Browns will likely have to prepare to play eight games without Deshaun Watson under center during the 2022-23 NFL season. The team was rumored to be interested in trading for a quarterback if its star acquisition was suspended for the entire campaign.
San Francisco 49ers star Jimmy Garoppolo was among those linked with the Browns, but with Watson expected to miss less than half of the campaign, the team will likely roll with Jacoby Brissett as the starting quarterback.
The team reportedly intends to add another signal-caller to its roster as a backup to Brissett, who has had an eventful NFL career.
He was the backup to Jimmy Garoppolo at the New England Patriots while Tom Brady served his suspension for his role in the Deflategate saga.
During a game against the Miami Dolphins, Garoppolo picked up a severe injury that sidelined him for a lengthy period. This forced Brissett to finish the game and start the next two.
He was then traded to the Indianapolis Colts to be the backup to Andrew Luck. But a season-ending injury to the Colts superstar meant Brissett played in all 16 games of the 2017 NFL season.
The following year, Brissett played in seven games, starting four. In 2019, the Colts named him the starting quarterback after Luck's unceremonious retirement from the NFL. In 2020, Indianapolis brought in Philip Rivers to be the team's starting quarterback, severely limiting Brissett's playing time.
He was then picked up by the Dolphins for the 2021 NFL season to be the backup to Tua Tagovailoa. However, he was forced to start five games after the young quarterback picked up an injury. Now on his fourth team, Brissett will be tasked with stepping in to be the savior yet again.
Will Brissett keep the Browns competitive in Deshaun Watson's absence? Only time will tell.
