The NFL world is awaiting news about the status of Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson after the league appealed his six-game suspension earlier this month. But it looks like there’s a very good reason for the delayed decision.
Watson was given a six-game suspension by NFL disciplinary officer Sue. L Robinson in early August. However, the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell decided to appeal the suspension, seeking greater punishment for the Cleveland quarterback. NFL appeals officer Peter Harvey will now decide the appeal, but he has not yet announced his decision after nearly two weeks.
According to a report from Pro Football Talk, Harvey is not delaying his decision simply because he’s undecided. Instead, the appeals officer is trying to give the NFL and Watson time to work out a settlement, and that the possibility of a settlement “remains viable.”
Earlier this week, it was reported that Watson would be willing to accept an eight-game suspension and a $5 million fine as part of a settlement in an effort to avoid a full-season suspension. However, Goodell recently said that Watson should be suspended for at least a year due to his “egregious” and “predatory” behavior.
While the decision is taking longer than expected, it’s clear that Watson will be seeing some sort of suspension this season. It’s just a matter of how long.
