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Deshaun Watson is gearing up to be suspended by the NFL. The league has been deliberating, holding hearings and internal discussions to decide what the length of Watson's suspension should be. There's been a lot of discussion around how long the suspension should be, with many, including NFL Disciplinary Officer Sue L. Robinson, hoping Watson is barred indefinitely.
It is rumored that the former Houston Texans quarterback could miss the entire season. According to NFL insider Dov Kleiman, Watson will sue the NFL if the suspension is for a full campaign. Here's what he said:
"Browns QB Deshaun Watson has already made the decision to sue the NFL in federal court if he's suspended a full season with the help of the NFLPA, according to Yahoo."
This news may pump the brakes on whatever the league was planning. The NFL may not want to go to court, and they may change their decision.
Then again, it may have no effect whatsoever and Watson may find himself not only suspended, but with even more courtroom drama on his hands.
How the NFL's investigation into Deshaun Watson has unfolded thus far
Deshaun Watson has had an astounding number of allegations come to light in the past two years. 24 women have filed civil lawsuits against the quarterback for sexual misconduct. Watson recently settled 20 of these and has four still pending. The NFL started an investigation into the quarterback in March 2021. They are finally nearing a decision on the matter.
The league is facing a somewhat unprecedented decision. Most players who have faced sexual allegations and faced NFL punishment have only had one accuser. The sheer quantity of Watson's accusations makes it a unique situation. It puts the league in an interesting spot, which is probably why the initial recommendation from Robinson was that they suspend Watson for a year or more.
However, during the hearings, the NFLPA argued that since the league didn't suspend Dan Snyder or Robert Kraft (both of whom faced similar allegations), they can't harshly suspend Watson. That puts the case on precedent, of which there is very little. Other players like Ezekiel Elliott and Ben Roethelisberger faced six-game suspensions for their infractions.
The rumors were that the league would try for eight games based on that precedent. It was then later reported by Tony Rizzo of ESPN Cleveland that Watson was only going to get four or six.
In truth, the league can do whatever they want. Deshaun Watson is facing an unprecedented number of allegations and his situation is truly unique. Whether or not the quarterback would sue the NFL should not have any effect on their decision to suspend him.
It will be interesting to see what happens next as the official announcement should be coming soon.
If you use any of the above quotes, please credit Yahoo and H/T Sportseeda
