Deshaun Watson’s quantum of suspension raises questions over the NFL’s player punishment policy
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Deshaun Watson
The Deshaun Watson saga has finally come to a conclusion. The NFL finally ended its year-long investigation into the allegations of 24 women against the quarterback and the case was sent over to an independent disciplinary officer as per league rules to look the matter over and decide upon a suitable quantum of punishment. The disciplinary officer appointed in this case was Sue L. Robinson and she has ruled that Deshaun Watson be suspended for 6 games for his violation of the league’s personal conduct policy as per ESPN.
This violation will render Watson unable to start in the first half of the season leaving the Cleveland Browns to fall back upon their backup options in Josh Rosen, Jacoby Brissett, and Joshua Dobbs. The 15-page report on Watson concluded that though there was a violation of the league’s personal conduct policy there was not enough evidence to justify an indefinite suspension as per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
How does Deshaun Watson’s punishment fare in comparison to previous suspensions issued by the NFL:
The NFL has had a confusing way of punishing athletes over the years. There is no clear pattern that can help one decipher how the league comes to a conclusion on the quantum of punishment. In this case, the league has an option to appeal the decision laid down by Judge Robinson but given that the NFLPA is with Watson and favors the ruling, it may seem hesitant to do so.
The league is likely following a wait-and-watch strategy. It is looking at the public reaction and on the basis of that is likely to decide if it will be appealing the decision issued by the officer. Looking back, the NFL has been extremely unpredictable in its punishments. Last summer, Falcons wideout Calvin Ridley was suspended by the league for an entire season. The reason? He decided to place a wager of $1,200 on the Falcons to win a game in which he was not playing.
Next instance, Vontaze Burfict, the linebacker was suspended for a total of 12 games for his hit on Colts tight end Jack Doyle in 2019. He was suspended as a result of repeated violations of the player safety rules. DeAndre Hopkins, the Cardinals WR faced a 6-game suspension for his alleged use of Performance Enhancing Drugs.
Athletes who have been accused of substance abuse tend to get the longest suspension. Josh Gordon, the wide receiver was suspended for over 25 games owing to his repeated violations of the league’s policy against the usage of marijuana, Darren Waller faced 16 games in suspension due to substance issues, and Martavis Bryant was suspended indefinitely for his usage of weed.
Compare those punishments to that of Deshaun Watson and this seems like a blessing rather than a suspension. For a quarterback with over 25 allegations of misconduct and violation of the personal conduct policy, the latest suspension sends a wrong message on the league’s stance on players accused of misconduct.
The punishment policy essentially puts what Deshaun Watson did on an equal footing with what DeAndre Hopkins did. There are multiple questions that need to be addressed, the most important of all being if the one-year suspension that Watson served last year were also a part of his punishment and is the reason why he is being let off easy by the league.
The public backlash as of now to the league’s punishment has been very critical. There is an urgent need for the league to update its personal conduct policy and do better in such cases. To recall, Ezekiel Elliott, the running back for the Dallas Cowboys was accused of domestic violence, though he was not charged, the league looked into the matter for an entire year and decided to punish him for 6 games.
Since 2015, the NFL has suspended 32 players for violating the personal conduct policy out of which 21 cases witnessed the league suspending the player for up to 6 games including the case of Derrios Guice and Johhny Manziel. Greg Hardy was also suspended for a total of 4 games.
In 2021, Jarron Jones faced a criminal plea and multiple instances of domestic violence, he got suspended for 10 games. In 2019, Kareem Hunt was given 8 years for domestic violence and in 2020, Mark Walton got the same punishment for domestic violence. Here are some notable reactions to the league’s punishment.
The majority of the criticism stems from the fact that Calvin Ridley got a much longer punishment for doing something that is nowhere close to what Watson is accused of doing. The league’s punishment comes as a major setback to the quarterback’s accusers and fans who wish the league comes up with a clear punishment policy.
Watson may not have been charged and though 2 grand juries let him go, the NFL should have done better considering it looked into the matter for an entire year. It also is bad for the league’s overall goodwill and image. Fans are not happy with the way the league has dealt with this matter. At the beginning of the investigation, the league hinted at an indefinite ban on the quarterback, from then it came down to just one season, and then 12 games. This proves that the league is lenient on matters of criminal nature in comparison to other major leagues. MLB had suspended Trevor Bauer for two whole years for non-criminal sexual assault allegations and that cost him over $60 million, Watson’s suspension costs him $300,000 which in the long run is just spare change for the quarterback given his $230 million contract with the Cleveland Browns.
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