"Six or eight games feels like a slap on the wrist" - Mike Florio sounds his concern over Deshaun Watson's expected suspension
Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio has aired his concerns over Deshaun Watson's expected suspension. The 26-year-old quarterback has 22 civil suits accusing him of sexual misconduct, with one predisposition already being heard.
The length of the suspension varies depending on who is talking. Some believe he should be suspended for the entire year, while others think a four-game ban is sufficient.
Deshaun Watson lawyer Rusty Hardin thinks lack of criminal charges should preclude suspension.
His associates surely have done the research on NFL precedent.
Ben Roethlisberger and Ezekiel Elliott: 6 game suspensions for sexual/domestic misconduct.
Both had..no criminal charges.
Florio, who spoke on PFT Live, was rather concerned at the thought of only a six-to-eight ban when baseball gave Trevor Bauer a two-year ban.
Florio said:
"So in assessing what's right for Deshaun Watson, now we have a data point from another sport, but a high profile report that everybody knows about, two years. Yes, it has a logical connection because to the extent this is all driven by PR, you're going to have a different reaction."
He went on to say:
"Six or eight games has a different vibe, now, when you know that baseball threw a two-year book at Trevor Bauer, six or eight games feels like a slap on the wrist in comparison to two years."
The NFL community is waiting for the league to hand down their punishment for the Cleveland Browns quarterback. Just what it will be, no one yet knows, but as Florio stated, given what the MLB did to Bauer, a six-to-eight-game ban would feel like a slap on the wrist for Watson.
Browns in limbo over Deshaun Watson future
With the immediate future of their star quarterback uncertain, the Browns will be on edge to find out what suspension, if any, will be handed down. Once that is done, the franchise can move to prepare Jacoby Brissett and Joshua Dobbs for the start of the 2022 season.
With a roster that is built for a Super Bowl run, not having the former Clemson star would be a huge dent in their aspirations. But Cleveland knew this was a possibility when they signed him to that mammoth five-year, $230 million contract, all of which is fully guaranteed.
QB1 🟧 @deshaunwatson (Via #Browns) https://t.co/XG5aMrjis3
Having the 26-year-old quarterback suspended for a year would likely mean the Browns would not make a deep playoff run. However, if, as some are saying, he only misses six or eight games, then the Browns have time to turn their season around if it gets off to a shaky start.
At the time of writing, there is no deadline for a potential suspension, but one would imagine it would be handed down before the start of the new NFL season.