Deshaun Watson suspension: Browns owner says team will "respect and honor process" 

Cleveland Browns QB Deshaun Watson may have been slapped with a six-game suspension, but that's far from the end of the story.

Watson was initially handed a six-game suspension by Judge Sue L. Robinson, who was jointly appointed by the NFL and the NFLPA to oversee the case. Judge Robinson noted that Watson's pattern of behavior was more egregious than any case previously reviewed by the NFL. She also suggested that she was limited in her authority to hand Watson a stricter suspension due to the league's past rulings.

Since then, however, the league has chosen to file an appeal on the decision, with the Browns and Watson waiting to hear the outcome.

Deshaun Watson suspension: Browns owner Jimmy Haslam reiterates franchise's stance

Per The Washington Post's Mark Maske, Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam said:

"We will respect and honor the process."

The Browns also claimed that Deshaun Watson was remorseful about the situation, but both the NFL and Judge Robinson cited concerns about his lack of remorse.

Watson was accused of sexual misconduct during massage sessions by 24 women who filed civil lawsuits against him. The alleged encounters took place between March 2020 and March 2021, back when Watson was still a member of the Houston Texans.

Deshaun Watson denied the allegations, and two grand juries in Texas subsequently declined to indict him on the charges. Watson and his legal team have since settled 23 of the 24 lawsuits filed against him.

The league has since appointed Peter C. Harvey to hear the appeal it filed on Watson's six-game suspension.

Harvey has prior experience in dealing with athletes who violate the NFL's personal conduct policy. He was part of the four-person panel that advised NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell during the league's investigation of Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott.

Elliott, who was accused of domestic violence, was not criminally charged, but the league ended up suspending him for six games.

As things stand, Watson has also not been hit with a fine just yet, but reports indicate the league is looking to impose a significant one.

Currently, Deshaun Watson only stands to lose $345,000 for the six-game suspension.