CLEVELAND — Under the NFL's Personal Conduct Policy, the process for any appeal of a player's suspension is supposed to be "expedited."
But 12 days after the league first announced that it would be appealing Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson's six-game suspension, a ruling on the matter has yet to be made.
One possible explanation for why that's the case is that former New Jersey Attorney General Peter C. Harvey, who NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell appointed as his designee to make a ruling on the appeal, is still giving the two sides time to work out a settlement. According to NBC Sports and ProFootballTalk.com's Mike Florio -- who first reported on the possibility of a settlement on Friday -- such a compromise remains "viable," albeit, far from a certainty to occur.
Writes Florio: "The possibility of settlement remains viable, we’re told. Currently, it could go either way. As such things usually do. But this one truly falls into the toss-up category. We’ll wait and see if the NFL and Watson can find a middle ground."
On Aug. 1, former U.S. District Judge Sue L. Robinson issued a six-game suspension for Watson after determining that the three-time Pro Bowl quarterback violated the NFL's Personal Conduct Policy on the following counts:
- Conduct that Qualifies as a Sexual Assault
- Conduct that Poses a Genuine Danger to the Safety and Well-Being of Another Person
- Conduct that Undermines, or Puts at Risk, the Integrity of the NFL
While Robinson had been jointly appointed by the NFL and the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) to rule in Watson's case, the league exercised its ability in the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) to make an appeal on the case to be heard by Goodell or a designee.
Speaking to reporters last week, Goodell said that Robinson's findings were clear and called Watson's behavior "egregious" and "predatory." Robinson also criticized the Clemson product's lack of remorse, something that Watson attempted to rectify when he issued an apology ahead of the Browns' preseason opener vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars on Friday.
“Look, I want to say that I’m truly sorry to all of the women that I have impacted in this situation,” Watson told Browns' preseason sideline reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala in a pregame interview. "The decisions that I made in my life that put me in this position I would definitely like to have back, but I want to continue to move forward and grow and learn and show that I am a true person of character and I am going to keep pushing forward.”
While his disciplinary case with the NFL focused on four specific accusers, Watson has reached settlements on 23 lawsuits alleging sexual misconduct, including harassment and assault during his time with the Texans. One related civil case remains ongoing.
Two Texas grand juries have declined to indict Watson on criminal charges as a result of the accusations. The 26-year-old has publicly maintained his innocence throughout the process.
Last month the Texans, reached settlements with 30 women regarding allegations that they enabled the star quarterback's behavior during his time with the team. In a statement, the Texans said they admitted no guilt in making the settlements.