The NFL made it official on Thursday. After a hearing and appeal, the league and NFLPA reached a settlement resulting in an 11-game suspension and $5 million fine for Cleveland Browns star Deshaun Watson. After the shockwaves of the news dissipate a bit, questions remain.
When does the suspension officially kick in? When can he return to practice? These are just some of the questions that were answered by ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, who revealed the important dates and checkpoints of the Deshaun Watson suspension in a tweet Thursday.
Per Schefter, Deshaun Watson's suspension will officially begin on August 30, which is also the NFL's roster cutdown day. The two-time Pro Bowler cannot return to the Browns facility until October 10, at which point he can participate in limited activities.
From there, the NFL mandates that Watson must wait about another month- until November 14- to resume practicing with the Browns again. After nearly a month on the practice field, Watson's punishment will come to an end on December 4, when he can take the field against his former team, the Houston Texans.
In reality, the Browns star will only be away from the workplace until October. But December 4 is the date that will hold the most weight in any discussion about the NFL suspension.
Cleveland, with backup Jacoby Brissett, will have to find a way to stay afloat in the AFC until that point. There will be little talk about football for the remainder of Thursday, though.
Only outrage, especially after these details of the Deshaun Watson suspension emerged.