On Tuesday, Deshaun Watson will appear before NFL disciplinary officer Sue L. Robinson, a former federal judge, to resolve a league response, if any, in addition to two dozen allegations of sexual misconduct. with the massage therapists Watson hired.
The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday that the NFL is seeking an “indefinite suspension” involving Watson “no less than a year.” Numerous other media outlets have confirmed this thought, a sign that the league wants the gravity that Watson wants to punish to be publicly known.
This is to soften the shock of an eventual heavy penalty or to claim a high moral level even if it is shorter.
Robinson was appointed jointly by the NFL and the NFLPA, and the union will defend Watson and will likely appeal any decision, while Watson himself will have broad legal representation.
However, the history of league discipline and a system in which the final determination of any sanction depends on Commissioner Roger Goodell or a designated person suggests that whatever the NFL wants here, the NFL will get it.
In other words, don’t expect to see Watson play in Cleveland in 2022.
While it once seemed unlikely a full-season ban in this case, a spring full of accusers who continue to appear has extended this to an ugly public relations situation for the NFL.
Where conventional wisdom floated over Watson losing six or maybe even eight games next season, the Browns suddenly have to prepare for the idea that this could extend into 2023.
Seriously the truth would have to be dropped on the Browns headquarters water supply to make them admit that this was not something they planned, but the reality is that the player and the team face off, in pure terms. of football, to an unexpected punishment.
Cleveland traded three first-round picks, a future third-round pick and two-quarter-finals in Houston to acquire Watson and a 2024 sixth-round pick. of the league securing the terms of the contract whether Watson played or not … in the NBA or MLB.
The story goes on
The deal is even structured, so Watson’s base salary for 2022 is just $ 1 million, which means any game control lost due to suspension would be minimal. His nearly $ 44 million bonus is already paid and untouchable. This kind of obvious subversion of justice is unlikely to play well with the NFL.
The Browns sold their future, and a sliding ladder of goodwill with some fans, to have a chance to get a quarterback who was considered one of the best in the league before the storm of sexual harassment lawsuits. (Since then, Watson has solved 20 of 24).
Now the terms of the deal may be truncated by the league. Five seasons at $ 230 million could be three and a half seasons at $ 230 million, or something.
If you dropped truth serum on the water supply at Browns headquarters, they’d probably admit they didn’t expect Deshaun Watson’s NFL suspension to last until the 2023 season. Now it’s a real possibility. (Photo by AP / David Richard)
That includes 2022, when the Browns have a loaded roster that seems capable of competing for a long-awaited Super Bowl … if only they had a great quarterback.
Instead, after breaking off their relationship with Baker Mayfield, the former No. 1 overall pick and four-year-old starter, the Browns can enter a previously promising campaign with officers Jacoby Brissett and Joshua Dobbs.
If the Browns couldn’t win last year with Mayfield, who is still on the roster but is expected to be dealt unless Cleveland can (or even want to) drag him back and forth, then how will he go? this?
Cleveland owners Jimmy and Dee Haslem looked cheerful and confident when they announced Watson’s change and signing earlier this spring. General manager Andrew Berry and coach Kevin Stefanski spoke of their confidence in Watson “the person” and continued on the team’s endless investigative work on the cases.
Are these feelings maintained?
It’s one thing to think you could lose Watson during a stretch of the first few games this season. Everyone was expecting this. However, an indefinite suspension, especially with four unresolved civil lawsuits, or a ruling that could significantly prevent Watson in 2023 changes the dynamic.
Watson, who will turn 27 in September, hasn’t made a dent in the NFL since the 2020 season. The longer he sits, the longer it will presumably take to remove some of the rust.
Watson was a tremendous player, but it would be an extreme challenge to have to go into action four, six, even eight games in the 2023 season and not expect any casualties in the game. Can you really go from scratch to the Super Bowl?
This would mean that two major years of a strong team have been lost or stopped, although the possibility of adding top-notch talent through the project is limited and large portions of future salary caps are tied to Watson. .
For Watson to make this deal worthwhile, he will have to be an amazing performer when he finally gets to act. And that’s to discount any fan resentment. Cleveland is confident that Watson will get enough wins because they will all be forgotten (at least by most fans). The team is likely to be right, but that puts a lot of pressure on Watson to make him very, very good from the jump.
Officially, nothing has been resolved. However, the NFL indicating that it wants a major punishment is not good for Watson or the Browns.
The 2023 season is now the issue, and that possibility is unlikely to have seriously crossed Cleveland’s head when it led to Deshaun Watson.