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Did the NFL Body Itself In The Deshaun Watson Case?

Watson just might have a hand full of spades to cut any suspension handed down

Deshaun Watsonโ€™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 โ€œindefiniteโ€ 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 hasnโ€™t played in a game since January 2021, along with the NFL Playersโ€™ 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, ProFootballTalkโ€™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 NFLโ€™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 Watsonโ€™s alleged behavior and that the league hasnโ€™t publicly said a word about investigating or punishing the team.

From ProFootballTalk

One of the strongest arguments on Watsonโ€™s behalf comes from the plain language of the policy: โ€œOwnership and club or league management have traditionally been held to a higher standard and will be subject to more significant discipline.โ€

At the hearing, the NFLPA focused on owners who either werenโ€™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 Watsonโ€™s alleged sexual misconduct.

So what, if any, discipline will be imposed on the teamโ€™s director of security? Brent Naccara is, given his title, a member of โ€œclub management.โ€ 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 canโ€™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 hasnโ€™t been talked about at all.Of course, all of this is just Florioโ€™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 Watsonโ€”or at least hit the gas where the Texans are concerned.

Straight From The Root

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