Browns may have caught a break in Deshaun Watson case
By Greg Newland
After fears that Roger Goodell himself may hear the NFL appeal, there is now some hope for Deshaun Watson to play in the 2022 season.
While it remains to be seen what the outcome is, the Cleveland Browns may have caught a huge break in the Deshaun Watson appeal hearing.
On Thursday, Albert Breer broke that the commissioner, Roger Goodell, will be picking a third party to hear the appeal case.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will pick someone outside the league office to hear the Deshaun Watson appeal, as @ProFootballTalk said. Why? My opinion …
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) August 4, 2022
1) Gives the NFL a better shot at avoiding court.
2) Better maintains integrity of the process they negotiated with the PA.
Why this matters for Deshaun Watson and his chances
The rumors have been swirling for weeks that the NFL was adamant about an indefinite suspension for Watson. While the NFLPA and Watson asked the NFL to accept the six-game punishment given out by Sue Robinson, many knew they were not pleased.
The Sunday before the verdict, news leaked that the NFL was willing to settle at 12 games, but Watson’s team passed. If Goodell wanted to prove that he was the ultimate ruler, he could have taken power into his own hands and given the indefinite suspension he was after.
This would have been a terrible look for him and the league, but it still would not have been surprising for the NFL to lay the groundwork that they still are the final decision-maker.
What Now?
Now we wait on who will hear the appeal and when the hearing will happen. Some speculated this could draw into the season, but I see this getting handled quickly as both parties want this over. It doesn’t mean Goodell can’t stack the deck and pick someone who is out to get Watson suspended for the whole year, but with all eyes on him, he must pick someone fair.
Why go through the trouble of hiring Judge Sue Robinson for this type of incident and not value her opinion? I know the NFLPA accepted these nonsense terms in the collective bargaining agreement, but you can bet this will be handled differently moving forward.
I haven’t seen any evidence and am not a judge, but I do have a feeling if several courts have failed to pursue criminal charges and Robinson saw six games as a fitting punishment, someone with a strong legal background will see the same thing. I’m not saying the suspension won’t increase, but I see eight games more likely than an indefinite suspension right now.
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