Deshaun Watson, the Cleveland Browns quarterback accused by more than two dozen women of sexual 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 with knowledge of the procedure that was not authorized to speak in public.
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 players’ union have three business days to file a written appeal, which would be handled by commissioner Roger Goodell or a person of his choice. The players’ union said in a statement Sunday night, before Robinson informed both sides of his decision, that it would not appeal and asked the NFL to vacate the decision.
When Watson is eligible to return from the suspension, it will have been about 22 months since he last played in an NFL game.
The ruling comes after a 15-month investigation into allegations that Watson, then a quarterback for the Houston Texans, engaged in sexually coercive and lewd behavior toward women he hired to give massages from the fall of 2019 to March of 2021. Watson denied the claims and grand juries in two Texas counties declined to criminally indict Watson.
Watson has settled with all but one of the 24 women who filed civil lawsuits against him. Twenty lawsuits were settled in June, and shortly before Robinson issued his decision, 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.
Disturbing behavior by Deshaun Watson
The Cleveland Browns quarterback has been accused by more than two dozen women of sexual misconduct during massage treatments.
Conduct prohibited by the league’s personal conduct policy includes sexual offenses, actions 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 people representing the league to a “higher standard,” regardless of how cases are resolved elsewhere.
The Browns made a major 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 a first Texas grand jury declined to indict him criminally, for three first-round picks and three additional selections in the NFL draft. A second grand jury also chose not to bring charges against Watson.
The league and Watson’s representatives were unable to negotiate mutually agreed upon discipline, putting the initial decision in Robinson’s hands. He oversaw a three-day hearing in late June, during which the NFL recommended Watson be suspended indefinitely and required to wait at least a full season to reapply, while the union and Watson’s representatives argue against a long ban.
This was the first NFL personal conduct case 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 impartial and legitimate as he pleaded with the NFL not to ask Goodell or his designee to overturn his decision on appeal.
The decision on Watson’s discipline was widely anticipated, not only as a result of the Browns’ investment in him, but because the breadth of the allegations against Watson set it apart from any other personal conduct case that has been considered by the League. The decision comes as scrutiny of the NFL’s treatment of women has included a congressional investigation into the employment treatment of Washington Commanders employees and a warning from attorneys general in six states, including New York, that they will investigate the league if to be addressed allegations of workplace harassment of women and minorities.
The NFL began its investigation into Watson in March 2021, when the accusers’ first lawsuits were filed. The league’s investigators, who do not have subpoena power, met with 10 of the women who filed suit against Watson, contemporary witnesses to verify their accounts and other women who have worked with Watson.
The Browns expected Watson to be out 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 only lose a portion of his roughly $1 million base salary.
Watson may continue to work with the Browns during training camp. Pending any possible appeal, his suspension will begin with the Browns’ regular season opener on Sept. 11 against the Carolina Panthers and could return in the Browns’ seventh game against the Baltimore Ravens on Sept. 23 of October