photo courtesy of AP
The NFL and its Players Association have finally decided upon Deshaun Watson’s fate. The Cleveland Brown’s quarterback has been suspended for 11 games of the new 2022 season. In addition to the suspension, he was fined $5 million for the slew of sexual misconduct allegations against the QB, under the basis of violating the personal conduct policy of the NFL. The decision was publicized in a press announcement on August 18, ending the disciplinary considerations for Watson.
The initial six-game suspension was extended after its ruling on August 1.
“I’m moving on with my career, with my life, and I’ll continue to stand on my innocence,” Watson said in the recently released conference in his team’s training facility. He continued to assure that the conclusion of the settlement didn’t mean that he was admitting guilt to the numerous allegations against him. “Just because settlements and things like that happen doesn’t mean that a person is guilty of anything,” Watson declared.
The stipulations of the suspension include him losing over half of his base salary for the season; his suspension will continue without pay and in tangent with a professional evaluation and a treatment plan.
Watson explained that he was apologizing “For everyone that was affected about the situation. There was a lot of people that was triggered.”
David Mulugheta, Watson’s agent, represented his client on Twitter, saying, “Deshaun has always stated he is innocent of sexual assault. Nothing has changed in what he said. He also said he is remorseful. The decisions he made have created this situation. The settlement allows him to move forward with his life and career,”
According to The Washington Post, Watson was accused of more than two dozen accounts of sexual assaults because of his inappropriate conduct in massage therapy sessions. It was reported that a total of 25 lawsuits were filed against him and that a settlement agreement had been reached with almost all of the women.