“They can kind of do whatever they want” - NFL analyst hints that league will suspend Deshaun Watson indefinitely
Deshaun Watson is nearing the end of his legal marathon in terms of finding out what the full scope of his punishment will be. Roughly 18 months after the initial accusations, the quarterback is on the doorstep of learning the length of his suspension from the league. After that, the act of serving the suspension will be another marathon.
According to one NFL analyst, the marathon could be indefinitely long. Speaking on the Monday Morning Quarterback podcast, NFL analyst Gary Gramling explained that Sue Robinson's original ruling laid the foundation for the league to suspend him as long as they want. Here's how he put it:
"At this point, the reports are that a designee will hear the appeal, as opposed to Roger Goodell himself. But [based on] the facts laid out by Judge Robinson, the door has already been, I don't even want to say cracked, it's been just flat out opened for the NFL to walk through and just rule what they want to rule at this point as far as the punishment goes."
Thoughts on Deshaun Watson and 6 games https://t.co/GBLoa7V7kY
He went on to say the ruling was clear:
"There's no doubt and if you haven't read the report, it is out there. It is, unlike a lot of these reports, not bogged down in a lot of legalese. It's very easy to read and understand. I would suggest everyone go out and read it."
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Lastly, he said that the judge has effectively given the league the ultimate power in this scenario:
"But there's no doubt that Judge Robinson believes he has violated [three different points in the personal conduct policy] with his egregious actions. [It] seems like they [the NFL] can kind of do whatever they want at this point."
Deshaun Watson's tumultuous year
Deshaun Watson started the year as a member of the Houston Texans working under a rookie contract. Over the next eight months, the quarterback saw several life-changing events in a short span of time.
At the start of the year, his freedom was in question as he faced criminal court proceedings due to the roughly two dozen accusations of sexual misconduct.
Watson escaped with his freedom after the criminal cases didn't lead to any punishments. However, he was still left with one civil court case for each accusation. Despite the civil lawsuits, the Houston Texans were able to find a suitor for the quarterback.
The Cleveland Browns picked up Watson and immediately signed him to a record-breaking $230 million deal. Over the following months, the quarterback whittled down all of the civil lawsuits to just one.
As July turned to August, the NFL ruled on the quarterback's suspension. As it stands, the quarterback will be suspended for six games.
However, the league has challenged the ruling, indicating that an adjustment to the punishment is likely. Will the quarterback play in the league this year?
If any of the above quotes have been used, please credit the Monday Morning Quarterback podcast and H/T Sportskeeda.