Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson has received a six-game suspension for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy in a ruling issued Monday by a third-party disciplinary officer — but the final decision still belongs to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
Sue L. Robinson, a former U.S. district judge, was jointly appointed by the NFL and the NFL Players Assn. to oversee the matter. Her ruling comes more than a month after a three-day hearing in Delaware in which the NFL argued for an indefinite suspension of at least one full season, while the players' union reportedly proposed no suspension.
According to an individual familiar with the language of the ruling, Robinson notes the six-game suspension without pay is the harshest for any player facing accusations of "non-violent" sexual conduct.
