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The NFL and Deshaun Watson will finally get down to business on Tuesday when the quarterback's disciplinary hearing begins. For some fans, it comes as a bit of a shock that it took until June 28 for this process to get going.
How long it will take is an unknown at the moment, but it seems fair to believe it won't be a long process. The NFL has spent a very long time on this and training camp is right around the corner, prompting the question of why it took so long.
Why did the NFL wait until now to deal with Deshaun Watson?
Fans have been left in the dark for much of the process, relying on insider reports and rumors. The Cleveland Browns and Watson have said as little as possible and always seem to steer the conversation back to football.
But again, why is the NFL waiting until now to make a decision? One clear factor has to do with the fact that this is an evolving situation. Just when there was a set amount of lawsuits, more emerged. Then came the decision for him to settle 20 of the 24 cases. Yet that meant four remained, and the case took a new turn this week when the Houston Texans were embroiled in lawsuits of their own.
The last thing the NFL wants to do is hand out a quick suspension, only for more evidence to emerge and make it seem too light of a punishment. A repeat of the Ray Rice situation could truly derail Roger Goodell's momentum as the league continues to grow and bring in massive revenues.
The league also had the benefit of time. Watson was allowed to practice and continues to do so with the Browns. While relatively close, training camp is still a month away. Making a decision at the start of July is essentially the same as doing it at the beginning of June, given how fast the quarterback market moved this offseason.
The Browns wasted no time either by signing Jacoby Brissett as a backup. They appear to have been aware of the risks of signing Watson and have planned accordingly.
We know the situation is ongoing and the league did not want to rush it, but why else did it take so long? One rumored story puts that the league and NFLPA are negotiating the quarterback's suspension. The NFLPA could even argue that the league is too easy on people like Dan Snyder, while coming down harsh on a player like Watson.
It can be noted that the decision might have likely been made much sooner if the player was not such a high-profile individual. But with the Browns signal-caller, the NFL needs to make sure it hands out the proper discipline for someone who could rise to be the face of a franchise.
