Deshaun Watson, the Cleveland Browns quarterback accused by more than two dozen women of sexually misconduct during massage treatments, was suspended Monday for six games for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy and was not fined, according to a person familiar with the matter. with the procedure, which was not allowed to speak publicly.
The NFL and the NFL Players Association did not immediately return calls for comment.
The decision was made by Sue L. Robinson, the retired federal judge appointed jointly by the NFL and the players’ union to oversee player discipline. The league and the players’ union have three business days to file a written appeal, which will be heard by Commissioner Roger Goodell or his designee. The players’ union said in a statement Sunday night — before Robinson informed both sides of his decision — that it would not appeal and urged the NFL to let the decision stand.
While Watson is eligible to return after the suspension, it will have been about 22 months since he last played in an NFL game.
The decision comes after a 15-month investigation into allegations that Watson, then a quarterback for the Houston Texans, engaged in sexually coercive and lewd conduct toward women he hired for massages from the fall of 2019 through March 2021. Watson denied the allegations and grand juries in two Texas counties declined to bring criminal charges against Watson.
Watson has reached settlements with all but one of the 24 women who filed civil lawsuits against him. Twenty cases were settled in June, and shortly before Robinson issued her ruling, Watson reached settlements with three more women, including Ashley Solis, the licensed massage therapist who filed the first lawsuit against Watson in March 2021, a lawyer for the women confirmed.
Deshaun Watson’s Disturbing Behavior
The Cleveland Browns quarterback has been accused by more than two dozen women of sexually assaulting him during massage treatments.
Among the conduct prohibited by the league’s personal conduct policy are sexual misconduct, acts that endanger the safety and well-being of another person, and anything that undermines the integrity of the league. The policy is intended to hold the people who represent the league to a “higher standard” regardless of how cases are decided elsewhere.
The Browns made a significant investment in Watson, trading top draft picks to acquire his services and then signing him to a five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed contract to be their franchise quarterback. An elite talent, Watson requested a trade from the Texans after the 2020 season, when Houston struggled to a 4-12 record.
He was traded to the Browns in March after the first Texas grand jury declined to indict him on criminal charges for three first-round picks and three supplemental selections in the NFL draft. A second grand jury also decided not to indict Watson.
The league and Watson’s representatives could not negotiate a mutually agreed-upon discipline, putting the initial decision in Robinson’s hands. She oversaw a three-day hearing in late June in which the NFL recommended Watson be suspended indefinitely and wait at least a full season to reapply, while the union and Watson’s representatives argued against an extended ban.
It was the first personal conduct case in the NFL to be heard by a disciplinary official instead of Goodell, a protocol established in the 2020 collective bargaining agreement. Before Robinson’s decision, the union called the new process fair and legitimate, while pleading with the NFL not to ask Goodell or his designee to reverse her decision on appeal.
The ruling on Watson’s disciplinary action was widely anticipated, not only as a result of the Browns’ investment in him, but also because the scope of the allegations against Watson set it apart from any other personal conduct case the league had handled. The decision comes after scrutiny of the NFL’s treatment of women included a congressional investigation into workplace treatment of female employees in the Washington D.C. and a warning from attorneys general in six states, including New York, that they would investigate the league unless it reversed itself. allegations of workplace harassment of women and minorities.
The NFL began its investigation into Watson in March 2021, when the first accusers’ lawsuits were filed. The league’s investigators, who do not have subpoena power, met with 10 of the women who filed lawsuits against Watson, contemporary witnesses to verify their accounts and other women who worked with Watson.
The Browns expected Watson to be suspended for at least part of the 2022 season and structured his contract accordingly, loading most of his $46 million compensation for that year into a signing bonus. He will lose only a portion of his base salary of about $1 million.
Watson may continue to work out with the Browns during training camp. Pending any appeals, his suspension will begin with the Browns’ first regular-season game on Sept. 11 against the Carolina Panthers, and he will be eligible to return for the Browns’ seventh game, against the Baltimore Ravens, on Oct. 23.
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