NFL Rumors: Full-season suspension likely for Deshaun Watson amid Roger Goodell's firm stance

Deshaun Watson recently received a six-game suspension, but NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has appealed the ruling in search of a longer sentence.

NFL analyst Chris Simms recently appeared on an episode of PFT Live with Mike Florio to discuss the situation. He spoke about the judge who will be overseeing the appeals process, Peter C. Harvey. They also discussed how the case has become a major story outside of football as well.

Here's what Simms had to say:

"Peter Harvey, working with the NFL before, there's no way you could be so insulated that you don't have a clue about what's been going on with the Deshaun Watson case, whether you're just a casual football fan or not even a football fan. Yeah, I feel like this is something that everybody knows about at this point because it's crossed over the line of football."

Simms continued by speculating on the length of the suspension.

"And that's where I think the NFL knows that it's crossed the line of football here. This is like a world and country issue, and that makes it an even worse look. And I think for those reasons, I'm with you, maybe 12 games... And the fact is that I think it's going to be 17 games."

Judge Sue L. Robinson was jointly hired by the NFL and NFLPA to oversee the Deshaun Watson case. Robinson decided on a six-game suspension for Watson, who accepted the ruling and announced he would not be appealing.

Commissioner Roger Goodell and the league office had other ideas. They officially announced that they would be filing a formal appeal of the initial suspension. Goodell is reportedly seeking a full season-long suspension for Watson, who faced 24 civil lawsuits related to sexual misconduct.

Simms appears to believe Goodell will win the appeal and Watson will miss a full season of football. It once appeared that a conclusion was near in the Watson saga, but there may still be a long way to go.

When will Deshaun Watson serve his suspension?

Cleveland Browns QB Deshaun Watson

If both sides had accepted the ruling of a six-game suspension, it would have gone into effect for Week 1 of the 2022-23 season. Watson would have been forced to sit out the first six games for the Cleveland Browns before suiting up for their seventh game.

Now that Goodell is appealing the ruling, it's unknown when the suspension will start and end. Players are usually permitted to play while an active appeal is in progress. This means there's a good chance Watson will be available to begin the 2022 season before the ruling becomes official.

We shall see if this is the case when the campaign kicks off in a month's time.

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