Deshaun Watson’s immediate future in the NFL is currently in the hands of former New Jersey Attorney General Peter C. Harvey. designated by the league to hear the appeal initial disciplinary recommendations for the Browns quarterback. With Harvey’s deliberation looming, however, the NFL and the NFL Players Association are in “active settlement negotiations”, according to Pro Football Network, in an effort to potentially reach a compromise regarding Watson’s 2022 suspension.
Former U.S. District Judge Sue L. Robinson, jointly appointed by the NFL and NFLPA to recommend discipline for Watson, initially offered a six-game suspension for the QB, who faced 24 civil lawsuits alleging misconduct sex this offseason. The NFL quickly appealed the decision, with commissioner Roger Goodell asking for at least a full season ban for Watson after a league investigation revealed a pattern of “predatory” behavior by the former Texans QB in games. dozens of private massage sessions.
Harvey, a former prosecutor who previously upheld the NFL’s suspension of Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott in 2017, is expected to extend Watson’s suspension in his next appeal decision, according to Aaron Wilson. It’s possible he could even institute an indefinite ban, which the league reportedly requested during Robinson’s initial hearing. Meanwhile, a potential settlement between the NFL and the NFLPA, representing Watson, could theoretically extend the ban by six games without forcing the QB to miss all of 2022.
Robinson said in his initial findings that Watson’s “pattern of conduct”, although he has not been criminally charged, “is more egregious than anything previously examined by the NFL.” The QB, who has confidentially settled all but one of the 24 lawsuits he has faced, has maintained his innocence, although he only recently expressed remorse for his actions during the series of massage sessions private individuals investigated. The Browns, who committed a record $230 million guaranteed to Watson in a trade for the Pro Bowler this spring, have publicly defended Watson and his character since his acquisition.
