Tuesday was the most significant day on the Deshaun Watson front since he was traded from the Texans to the Browns in March.
During late morning, Texas attorney Tony Buzbee, the representative for the 24 plaintiffs who sued Watson over the last 15 months alleging instances of sexual harassment and sexual assault, announced that settlements had been reached in 20 of 24 cases. In doing so, Buzbee signaled a big step toward closure—one that was almost taken before the trade deadline last fall, and one that should simplify the task in front of the NFL and the appointed arbitrator, ex–U.S. District Judge Sue Robinson.
That, to be clear, isn’t any sort of statement about the innocence or guilt of Watson. It also isn’t any sort of statement on the seriousness of the accusations (that’s been established).
But it does matter.
So to reset the landscape in the Watson case, rather than answer the slew of mailbag questions on it I received Tuesday, we figured it’d be smart to give you an FAQ overview on where things stand from all angles.
It started with NFL senior vice president Lisa Friel—who served as the chief of the sex crimes unit in the Manhattan District Attorney’s office—conducting her investigation. Once her investigation was complete, she reviewed her findings with the NFL, NFLPA and representatives for Watson. (I was told that Friel spoke to at least half the plaintiffs when the number of lawsuits was still 22, and she also spoke with women involved who didn’t file suit).
The next step for the NFL and the NFLPA is to make their recommendations based on the evidence Friel gathered. From there, the case goes to Robinson, who reviews it and can hold a hearing if she sees fit. After that, she makes her ruling. If she finds there was no violation, the case is over, and there isn’t a punishment.
If she finds a violation, she would then recommend a punishment to commissioner Roger Goodell or his designee (in this case, it’s not yet clear whether Goodell or a designee will be making the final judgment). Goodell or his designee would then make a ruling, with the league and union having a chance to appeal that decision before a final decision is made.
