Browns Quarterback Deshaun Watson has officially been suspended 6 games, for now.
The 26-year-old was punished following two-dozen descriptive allegations of sexual harassment and assault which persisted for well over a year. Watson missed the entirety of the 2022 season, with seemingly every week adding more and more victims to the case.
Victims in which played a role in the decision to suspend him.
The question was never up in the air to suspend Watson, but for how long and what other acts of punishment should be implemented, following the likes of Ray Rice and others that preceded his case.
A whole season? Thousand-dollar fines? A release from his contract? Amongst other acts of penance.
Ultimately, it was merely a quarter of the season, with no fine in place.
The polarizing decision has drawn the ire of fans and skeptics.
Sue L. Robinson, the disciplinary officer for NFL who announced the suspension, spoke candidly in a 15-page excerpt, outlining her personal sentiments.
Implicating her displeasure with the ruling, she stated that:
“The NFL may be a ‘forward-facing’ organization, but it is not necessarily a forward-looking one,”
As it stands, Watson would be eligible to play in Week 7 against the Baltimore Ravens, his 1st game since January of 2021, when the pro-bowler played the Texans’ week 17 matchup against the Tennessee Titans.
The league has until Thursday to appeal the ruling.
