BEREA, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – The NFL is pondering their next steps following Sue L. Robinson’s decision to suspended Browns quarterback Deshaun Watsons six games for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy.
Watson and the NFLPA announced Sunday night they would accept Robinson’s ruling, and they called upon the NFL to do the same.
The NFL has three days to appeal the six-game suspension handed down in her ruling, which she said was based largely on precedent.
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Robinson agreed with the NFL and found that Watson violated the league’s personal conduct policy on three levels – sexual assault; conduct that poses a genuine danger to the safety and well-being of another person; and conduct that undermines or puts at risk the integrity of the NFL.
Robinson noted in her conclusion that “Mr. Watson’s pattern of conduct is more egregious than any before reviewed by the NFL,” however her discipline falls within the scope of existing parameters.
“It is inherently unfair to identify conduct as prohibited only after the conduct has been committed, just as it is inherently unjust to change the penalties for such conduct after the fact,” Robinson wrote.
Robinson also is requiring Watson to meet three requirements upon his reinstatement – “have no adverse involvement with law enforcement;” do not violate the conduct policy again and she imposed a mandate that “Mr. Watson to limit his massage therapy to Club-directed sessions and Club-approved massage therapists for the duration of his career.”
