With Deshaun Watson facing more than 20 civil lawsuits from women alleging sexual misconduct, the NFL and NFLPA turned to retired judge Sue L. Robinson to host hearings regarding possible punishment for the Browns quarterback.
It has been more than a month since those hearings came to an end. But a ruling is finally expected to come down the pipeline on Monday morning:
CBS Sports NFL insider Josina Anderson reports Robinson’s ruling will be delivered Monday. Meanwhile, The Athletic’s Jeff Lowe adds that there is a “feeling in the Browns’ building” that a suspension of 4-8 games is what’s coming down the pipeline. It sure seems as if Watson will face some sort of discipline for violation of the NFL’s personal conduct policy stemming from two years worth of allegations. But how much time he’ll miss is still unclear at this point.
If the league believes the suspension is light, I imagine the league will file for an appeal. Keep in mind that early reports had the NFL requesting an indefinite suspension that would allow Watson to apply for reinstatement after one year. On the other end of the table, the NFLPA was asking for a much lighter penalty. We’ll see what shakes out tomorrow. But no matter the ruling, I don’t think we’ll be closing the door on this story arc after news comes down tomorrow.
Especially after reading this joint statement from Watson and the NFLPA:
More to come tomorrow…