Report: Browns' Deshaun Watson Should Be Suspended 6 Games, Rules Sue L. Robinson

Deshaun will be suspended for six games for violating the NFL's personal-conduct policy.

Ian Rapoport said the news.

The man will not be fined.

Adam Schefter @AdamSchefter

NFL now has three days to decide to appeal Deshaun Watson’s six-game suspension.

Several lawsuits were filed against the then-Houston Texans quarterback by women who had been hired to massage him. One lawsuit was dropped early in the process, but a total of 25 lawsuits were filed.

Any sexual activity between him and the women was consensual according to his legal team. According to Jake Trotter, he settled 20 of the lawsuits in June.

In April 2021, the league said it would investigate the allegations.

On the same day as the NFL's statement, two people identified themselves as a part of the civil lawsuits against the player.

Sarah Barshop shared some of the statements that she said made her feel bad about getting into massage therapy in the first place.

She said she suffers from panic attacks, anxiety and depression. I hope he knows how much pain he has caused.

At the April 2021 press conference, attorney Cornelia Brandfield-Harvey read a letter on behalf of Baxley, which she said was written by a "predator with power" who crossed "every boundary from professional and therapeutic to sexual and degrading"

The final question mark over his return to the field is whether or not he will be disciplined by the NFL.

While the lawsuits and 10 police complaints were still active, the NFL did not suspend him or place him on the exempt list after he asked to be traded from the Texans.

After the Texans traded their starting quarterback to the Cleveland Browns, the team signed him to a five-year, $230 million contract even though he wouldn't play in the upcoming season.

After a three-day process, Sue L. Robinson, who was appointed by the league and the players' association, oversaw the hearing.

According to Andrew Beaton of the Wall Street Journal, the National Football League was considering an indefinite suspension.

According to Beaton, the league's belief that it should institute what is essentially the strictest discipline it can assess is based on its investigation over the last year.

Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reported in July that there was growing sentiment within league circles that Watson will play at some point this season, with the NFLPA pushing for no suspension at all.

Settlement talks didn't yield a result.

Dan Graziano @DanGrazianoESPN

Per sources, Deshaun Watson and the NFL did engage in further settlement talks in recent days, but neither side felt they got close. The best Watson’s side indicated it would accept was 6-8 games. Best league indicated it was willing to do was 12 games + heavy fine $8 mil range).

If he was suspended for a full season, the players' association would file a lawsuit against the league in federal court, according to a report by Charles Robinson.

Ahead of the ruling, the NFLPA released a statement calling on the league to do the same.