Deshaun Watson’s intention to sue the National Football League if hands him a long-term suspension could be irrelevant if one well-regarded football talking head is right.
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The NFL reportedly wants an “indefinite” suspension of Watson over allegations that he sexually assaulted or harassed multiple female massage therapists while he played for the Houston Texans. In NFL-speak, an indefinite ban means Watson would sit out a minimum of a full season before being eligible to apply for reinstatement. Watson, who already hasn’t played in a game since January 2021, along with the NFL Players’ Association, have indicated they plan to file a federal lawsuit against the league if either it or arbitrator Sue Robinson, lands on a punishment that long over the allegations.
On Wednesday morning, though, ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio pontificated about a scenario in which Watson spends at best half of the upcoming season on the sidelines. That scenario hinges in part on the argument that, as I wrote about on Monday, the NFL’s personal conduct policy requires it to hold owners and teams to a higher standard than players, that the Texans may well have facilitated at least some part of Watson’s alleged behavior and that the league hasn’t publicly said a word about investigating or punishing the team.
From ProFootballTalk
One of the strongest arguments on Watson’s behalf comes from the plain language of the policy: “Ownership and club or league management have traditionally been held to a higher standard and will be subject to more significant discipline.”
At the hearing, the NFLPA focused on owners who either weren’t punished at all or whose punishments require a player like Watson to receive a lesser sanction. Since the hearing, the Texans have settled 30 claims against them specifically for their alleged role in Watson’s alleged sexual misconduct.
So what, if any, discipline will be imposed on the team’s director of security? Brent Naccara is, given his title, a member of “club management.” He allegedly responded to news of a situation involving Watson by giving Watson an NDA to use moving forward.
Put another way, the league wants to suspend Watson for a long time, but it may have boxed itself in because it can’t possibly adhere to its own personal conduct policy without issuing an even harsher punishment to at least one executive inside the Texans organization, which to this point hasn’t been talked about at all.Of course, all of this is just Florio’s speculation. It could be weeks before Robinson issues her ruling and unless she decides Watson deserves no suspension at all, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell could replace her ruling with a longer bid. But at the very least, it makes a compelling argument for the NFL to drive slow on discipling Watson—or at least hit the gas where the Texans are concerned.
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