The NFL suspended Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson for six games on Monday for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.
The decision was rendered in response to the NFL’s investigation of multiple women who filed civil lawsuits against Watson before he settled with 23 of them; one of those suits remains. The women, whom Watson hired for massages, accused the QB of sexual misconduct or sexual assault.
Watson will be eligible to return to the Browns in Week 7.
As part of its probe, the league’s investigators spoke to at least 10 of the women who originally filed litigation against Watson. A source told Yahoo Sports the NFL obtained information from the pretrial process in those civil lawsuits, none of which was sealed by presiding judges. The pretrial process included Watson sitting for multiple depositions and ultimately concluded on June 30.
Independent hearing officer Sue L. Robinson presided over a three-day disciplinary hearing in which the NFL and NFLPA presented their cases in determining if Watson violated the league’s conduct policy. Days before those hearings began, it was reported that the NFL pushed for a one-year suspension. A source told Yahoo Sports that the NFL wanted the public to know that it had pushed for that yearlong suspension before the discipline hearing.
This story will be updated.
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