Roger Goodell Weighs in on What Length of Deshaun Watson’s Suspension Should Be

Looks like Roger Goodell isn’t too satisfied with the current six game suspension of Deshaun Watson.

The NFL commissioner says the NFL is seeking a harsher penalty for Deshaun Watson because the quarterback’s actions were “egregious” and “predatory behavior.” The league’s front office formally appealed Deshaun Watson’s six-game suspension, which was handed down by NFL disciplinary officer Sue. L Robinson earlier this month. Goodell was asked why the NFL appealed Robinson’s decision and was seeking a suspension of at least a year for the Cleveland Browns quarterback.

“We’ve seen the evidence, she was very clear about the evidence, she reinforced the evidence,” Goodell said. “There were multiple violations that were egregious, and it was predatory behavior.”

Via PFT:

Asked why the league is seeking a one-year suspension of Watson, Goodell provided a blunt and strong assessment.

“Because we’ve seen the evidence,” Goodell said, via James Palmer of NFL Network. “[Judge Robinson] was very clear about the evidence. . . that there were multiple violations here, and they were egregious an it was predatory behavior. Those are things that we always felt were important for us to address in a way that’s responsible.”

By rule, Judge Robinson’s factual findings are binding on the appeal process.

Goodell confirmed that the league believes Watson committed four different violations of the Personal Conduct Policy, since the facts pointed to four different massage therapists against whom Watson committed (as Judge Robinson put it) “non-violent sexual assault.”

And Goodell provided a frank assessment of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, which allowed the league and/or the union to appeal Judge Robinson’s ruling.

“As you know, it’s part of the CBA that two parties had the right,” Goodell said. “Either party could certainly challenge and appeal that and that was something we thought was our right to do. . . . So we decided it was the right thing to do.”

Quotes from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on the decision to appeal Watson suspension: pic.twitter.com/73ZcKRvfym

— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) August 9, 2022

Watson was accused of sexual assault  during massage sessions in civil lawsuits filed by 25 women. The encounters alleged in the lawsuits took place between March 2020 to March 2021, while Watson was still with the Houston Texans.

Looks like Watson is going to missing some real time.

After seeing what Roger Goodell said about Watson today, I’m back to thinking 17 games, at least. https://t.co/IOxln9LhGl

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) August 9, 2022

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