TI have drama all around Deshawn Watson’s punishment isn’t over yet. On Monday, the Browns quarterback was suspended for six games by Sue Robinson, a former federal judge appointed by the NFL mediator and the players’ union. The players’ union subsequently stated that it would not appeal the decision.
But The NFL is not happy with the sanction, because he was trying to impose a higher penalty on the player before the intermediary intervened.
According to NFL Media, the league decided to appeal. Judge Robinson’s decision. The appeal shows that the league wants to impose tougher sanctions on Deshawn Watson.
The NFL will seek a one-year banshe would have requested that sanction sooner, CBS’s Jonathan Jones said.
ESPN also reported that one of the offers the NFL made was a 12-game suspension and from 8 to 10 million dollars, but people close to Watson said they would not accept a suspension of more than eight games.
Watson was in trouble, because now he could not only miss a year, he can also be suspended indefinitely.
The final decision is now in the hands of the NFL. The players’ union officially has two days to respond to the appeal. A written memorandum from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell or one of his representatives will serve as the final document in deciding whether to punish Deshawn Watson. According to the procedure the decision will be based on the facts and evidence collected by the mediator during her process.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell appoints former New Jersey Representative Peter C. Harvey to hear the NFL’s appeal of the Watson case.
“Mr. Harvey served as Attorney General of New Jersey and is now a partner at Paterson Belknap in New York,” the league said in a statement Thursday. “He also worked as a federal prosecutor. He has in-depth knowledge of criminal law, including domestic violence and sexual assault, and advised the NFL and other professional leagues on the development and implementation of workplace policies, including the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy. Mr. Harvey has also been the commissioner’s representative in other arbitrations.”
The NFL commissioner chose to put someone else in charge of The Watson case, since Goodell himself wanted an expert in the field to focus solely on the subject, a person familiar with the appointment told The Associated Press.
Partly due to public outrage at the suspension being too light. the league has appealed Robinson’s decision and wants Watson to serve a harsher sentence.