Roger Goodell is here to give us an update about Deshaun Watson’s 11-game suspension and according to him, Deshaun has followed all terms of his 11-game suspension and is on track to play Dec. 4.
Cleveland got the details;
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Tuesday at the conclusion of the league’s fall meeting in New York that Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson has met the terms and conditions of his 11-game NFL suspension and is on track to return to the field Dec. 4 in Houston.
“Yes, he has followed all of the terms of the agreement,” Goodell said during his closing press conference.
As for the new civil suit filed last week by a massage therapist alleging misconduct on the part of Watson during an appointment in December 2020, Goodell reiterated that the NFL is monitoring any developments in the case. It’s the 26th such suit filed against Watson, with one dropped, 23 settled for undisclosed amounts and now two pending.
Goodell said the NFL will make decisions about the new case after more facts come out.
The plaintiff’s attorney, Anissah Nguyen, told cleveland.com that the NFL had reached out to her last week to gather more information. She also said she plans to depose Watson by the end of the season.
If the suit is similar to the others and from the same timeframe, it’s not expected to impact Watson’s 11-game suspension under the league’s personal conduct policy, a league source told cleveland.com.
“Watson’s status remains unchanged,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told cleveland.com in an email response Friday. “We will monitor developments in the newly-filed litigation; and any conduct that warrants further investigation or possible additional sanctions would be addressed within the Personal Conduct Policy.”
Watson returned to the Browns facility Oct. 10 on a limited basis, and is currently permitted to attend team meetings and strength and conditioning workouts. He can also eat with his teammates in the cafeteria. He’s eligible to return to practice on Nov. 14 and will be fully reinstated on Nov. 28 barring an unforeseen circumstance.
In addition to his 11-game suspension and $5 million fine, Watson was ordered to undergo a professional evaluation by independent behavioral experts, and follow their prescribed treatment plan. What’s more, Watson — who maintains his innocence — had to faithfully comply with the treatment program, and he’s done that.
Flip the next page for court docs from his latest accuser who says he forced her to give him oral relations.
