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Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson's was handed a six-game suspension on Monday for violating the league's conduct policy. The verdict given by Judge Sue L. Robinson was met with serious pushback. The quarterback had 24 cases of sexual misconduct filed against him and all but one has been settled.
The NFL took the step to appeal the decision. The league is pushing for a year-long ban for the 26-year-old, with some even wanting him to be suspended indefinitely.
As expected, when the news broke that the NFL was appealing the suspension handed down by Robinson, there was a lot of activity on social media from fans.
Dov Kleiman, an independent NFL reporter, said that Watson gambled and lost.
Kleiman wrote:
"Watson gambled and he lost. He had a chance to accept a settlement deal from the NFL of 12-games and around a $10 million fine (his salary for 2021) - He declined and now with this appeal, he'll likely serve a lot more than those 6 games."
Other fans chimed in with their thoughts on the league appealing Robinson's decision.
What does the NFL appeal mean for Watson and the Browns?
Essentially, this means that the league wants a longer suspension for the quarterback. The former Texans star will now, according to several sources, be able to play Week 1 if the appeal goes through the courts.
The NFLPA can file an injuction that keeps the 26-year-old on the field until the potential court case is finished. This might not happen until next year as we all know how long court cases can be. So the 26-year-old could be on the field for every game in 2022.
Going from six games to potentially not missing any is a total flip of the script for the Browns. The franchise's Super Bowl hopes will go up in such a scenario.
Cleveland gave the 26-year-old a huge five-year, $230 million contract, all of which was fully guaranteed this offseason. They're hoping this can lead to their first ever Lombardi trophy in.
It is a big twist in the saga that has dragged on for months with seemingly no end in sight.
