Editorial

REPORT: Discipline Negotiations Between The NFL And Deshaun Watson’s Advisors Fall ‘Apart’

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David Hookstead Sports And Entertainment Editor
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It sounds like the mess with Deshaun Watson only continues to get worse for the NFL.

The Cleveland Browns quarterback recently settled the vast majority of his lawsuits alleging sexual misconduct, but that doesn’t appear to have made an impact on a potential punishment. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)

Josina Anderson reported that discipline negotiations between the NFL, NFLPA and Watson’s people “fell apart” over how many games he might miss.

Now, it’d be very easy for people to hammer the NFL for reportedly negotiating a punishment, but in reality, it’s a smart thing to do. Hell, we have plea deals all the time in the courts.

If the NFL and Watson come to an agreement on a suspension or any other punishment, it should end the possibility of an appeal. That means it’s just done and over with.

 

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Watson serves the punishment, loses a certain amount of money and everyone moves on. If Watson fights it, the situation could get very ugly.

Remember when Tom Brady was suspended for allegedly deflating footballs? That dragged on for a very long time and got vicious. This could make that situation look like a picnic given the severity of the allegations Watson is facing.

 

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So, if everyone can agree on a punishment ahead of time, it’s going to save a lot of time. Now, that doesn’t mean the NFL should let Watson off easy if it’s determined by the league he violated rules. The punishment must be appropriate, but that hardly means it shouldn’t be possibly negotiated.

 

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Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.