"That smug look on his face was evidence enough" - Redditors left appalled by NFL's 11-game suspension of Deshaun Watson

Deshaun Watson was initially given a six-game suspension but the NFL appealed the ruling. Five more games were added to the Cleveland Browns quarterback’s suspension, making it 11 games and a five million-dollar fine. This followed an NFL investigation into 24 accusations of sexual misconduct levied against Watson.

Some NFL fans are not too happy about the suspension and the fine as a ruling. Redditors shared their thoughts on the quarterback and the ruling itself.

Some on Reddit went after the Browns quarterback for his actions in their response to the ruling, saying he's a predator:

Warning: NSFW language

Warning: NSFW language

Other Redditors placed the blame squarely on the league for the Cleveland quarterback's suspension and discussed his apology:

Tony Buzbee, the attorney for the plaintiffs, shared his disapproval of the ruling, saying:

“By settling this matter the way he has, Roger Goodell has proven one of two things: either his recent rhetoric was utter baloney, or his bark is much worse than his bite."

After the 11-game suspension came out, Deshaun Watson spoke to the media. He said that he's innocent, but wants to push forward with his career:

“I’ve always been able to stand on my innocence and always said I never assaulted or disrespected anyone but at the same point I have to continue to push forward with my life and career.”

However, he said in an interview before the 11-game suspension was revealed that he was sorry to the women impacted:

"I want to say that I'm truly sorry to all of the women that I have impacted in this situation."

The quarterback added that his decisions placed him in the position he was in:

"The decisions that I made in my life that put me in this position I would definitely like to have back. But I want to continue to move forward and grow and learn and show that I am a true person of character and I am going to keep pushing forward."

It seems the 26-year-old apologized and maintained his innocence within a span of days. Watson was accused by over two dozen women who accused him of sexual assault and sexual harassment during massage sessions.

Now that we know that he'll be playing this season, attention is now focused on his return in Week 13.

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Deshaun Watson returns to the Cleveland Browns in Week 13 against the Houston Texans

Deshaun Watson at Cleveland Browns Training Camp

Remarkably, Deshaun Watson will return in Week 13 against his former team, the Houston Texans. The question is whether the Browns will still be in playoff contention by that point.

They are set to start Jacoby Brissett for the duration of Watson's suspension. He will be backed up by Josh Rosen and Joshua Dobbs. Brissett is definitely good enough to win a few games for the Browns, who will likely lean heavily on their running game. To have any chance of making the postseason, they will need Brissett to win at least six games. From there, Watson will have to hit the ground running upon his return.

Watson had a poor performance in his preseason debut against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He completed one pass for seven yards from five attempts. It will be interesting to see if so much time away from the field will be an issue for him when he returns.

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If you use any of the above quotes, please credit the Cleveland Browns and H/T Sportskeeda.