FINALLY

Deshaun Watson Now Suspended for 11 Games and Must Fork Over $5M Fine

Deshaun Watson, 26, faced 24 civil lawsuits for coercive sexual behavior during massage appointments.

A settlement has finally been reached for the Cleveland Browns quarterback accused of sexual misconduct. Deshaun Watson was handed an 11-game suspension without pay, an agreement between the league and the NFL Players Association, topped by a $5 million fine for violating the league’s personal policy, according to an anonymous league source who spoke with ESPN. Sue Robinson, the disciplinary officer appointed by the two organizations and a retired U.S. district judge, described the 26-year-old’s behavior in her report as “predatory” and “more egregious” than any other reviewed by the NFL, noting that the suspension length was capped by previous league discipline sentences for nonviolent sexual assault. Watson faced a total of 24 civil lawsuits that accused him of coercive behavior during massage appointments, two of which alleged sexual assault. Robinson’s initial Aug. 1 decision, which suspended the quarterback for just six games, also curbed his future massage sessions to “to Club-directed sessions and Club-approved massage therapists for the duration of his career.”