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Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson is expected to receive his long-awaited suspension on Monday. However, his camp did attempt to settle the issue before this development.
According to ESPN's Dan Graziano, Watson and the NFL engaged in settlement talks regarding his disciplinary proceedings. The report revealed what each side was willing to accept in a settlement.
Watson's camp was reportedly willing to accept a six-to-eight game suspension for the Browns QB. The NFL, meanwhile, was willing to settle for a 12-game suspension with a fine tacked on in the $8 million range.
The NFL had originally insisted upon an indefinite suspension with the right to apply for reinstatement, as Graziano notes. The massive fine was the league's trade-off, to which Watson and the NFL Players Association balked at.
Watson faces discipline from the NFL in the wake of numerous sexual assault allegations against him. The allegations were first made public in March 2021. The claim went that Watson engaged in inappropriate conduct with female masseuses.
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In April 2021, the new Browns QB has 22 civil suits pending against him in regards to these allegations. The Browns QB maintained his innocence, saying “I have never treated any woman with anything other than the utmost respect,” Watson said in a statement last year.
On June 7, the New York Times released an article, revealing Watson booked appointments with 66 different masseuses between the fall of 2019 and spring of 2021.
The piece also alleges that Watson's former team, the Houston Texans, helped enable these acts by providing him a venue. The team further enabled these acts by providing a non-disclosure agreement on one occasion.
Watson, meanwhile, continues to deny these claims and has fought to clear his name in court. According to The Athletic's Jeff Howe, the feeling among the Browns is that Watson will face a ban between four and eight games.
