Deshaun Watson suspension news, explained: NFL, Browns QB reach settlement for 11 games, $5 million fine

Abraham Smith

The sage over Deshaun Watson’s anticipated discipline has reached an end.

On Thursday, the NFL has reached a settlement for an 11-game suspension with an $5 million fine for Watson after he faced more than 20 accusations of sexual assault.

This ends the NFL’s appeal of a decision made by retired judge Sue L. Robinson, who was assigned to handle the disciplinary hearings for Watson. Though Robinson called the behavior “more egregious than any before reviewed by the NFL,” she suspended him only six games without a fine.

“Deshaun has committed to doing the hard work on himself that is necessary for his return to the NFL,” commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “This settlement requires compliance with a professional evaluation and treatment plan, a significant fine, and a more substantial suspension. We are grateful to Judge Robinson and Peter Harvey for their efforts in addressing these matters, which laid the foundation for reaching this conclusion.”

The NFL announced it would appeal the decision and hand the case over to NFL designee Peter C. Harvey. But with the league reaching a settlement with Watson, Harvey will no longer need to make a decision.

After the suspension was announced, the Browns issued the following statement from Watson:

I’m grateful that the disciplinary process has ended and extremely appreciative of the tremendous support I have received throughout my short time with the Browns organization. I apologize once again for any pain this situation has caused. I take accountability for the decisions I made. My focus going forward is on working to become the best version of myself on and off the field and supporting my teammates however possible while I’m away from the team. I’m excited about what the future holds for me in Cleveland.

MORE: Watson apologizes ‘to all of the women that I have impacted’

Dee and Jimmy Haslam, the Browns owners, also issued a statement following the announcement:

As we have previously conveyed, Deshaun and his representatives have abided by the NFL and the NFLPA structure awaiting a final decision and we have respected the process. Now that a decision on discipline has been reached, we understand this is a real opportunity to create meaningful change and we are committed to investing in programs in Northeast Ohio that will educate our youth regarding awareness, understanding, and most importantly, prevention of sexual misconduct and the many underlying causes of such behavior. Since Deshaun entered our building, he has been an outstanding member of our organization and shown a true dedication to working on himself both on and off the field. We will continue to support him as he focuses on earning the trust of our community.

Why is Watson suspended now for 11 games, and what does it mean for him and the Browns? Here’s what to know about the suspension.

How long is Deshaun Watson suspended?

Watson will now be suspended for the first 11 games of the 2022 NFL season. Since the deal was reached in a settlement, the number is final, and Watson will begin serving the suspension in Week 1.

In addition, Watson will have to undergo mandatory counseling.

This suspension means that Watson will sit out for an extra five games than he would have originally under the suspension handed by Robinson.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, his suspension officially begins at 4 p.m. ET on Aug. 30. He can return to the facility on Oct. 10 and start practicing again on Nov. 14.

When will Deshaun Watson return to play?

Based on the Browns’ schedule, Watson will be eligible to return to the field in Week 13 on Dec. 4 in a road clash with the Texans, the team that traded him to the Browns in the first place.

Until then, Jacoby Brissett will be the quarterback under center for the Browns, barring any transactions made prior to the start of the season.

Deshaun Watson lawsuits timeline

The first 21 lawsuits against Watson were all filed in March 2021. The first two claimed Watson exposed himself and touched the two massage therapists with his penis in March and August 2020, respectively. The third claimed Watson forced the woman through intimidation and threats to perform oral sex in December 2020.

The fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh lawsuits were all filed on March 19, 2021, with claims of inappropriate contact made by Watson to massage therapists, and the fourth claimed Watson tried to kiss a woman against her will.

The next seven were filed on March 22, 2021. They featured incidents ranging from April 2020 to March 2021.

MORE: Explaining the lawsuits against Deshaun Watson

Two more lawsuits were filed against Watson on March 23, 2021, with similar accusations to previous plaintiffs and another three were filed on March 28 saying Watson “purposely” touched women with his penis. One of those lawsuits said Watson reached out on Instagram in since-deleted messages in an attempt to settle, but Watson’s attorney Rusty Hardin denied Watson reached out to them directly and said Watson hadn’t deleted messages since March 15.

On March 30, 2021, two more lawsuits were filed, including one that claimed Watson groped a massage therapist, coerced her into oral sex and ejaculated on her.

Hardin issued a press release on March 31 that featured statements from 18 massage therapists supporting Watson.

The 22nd lawsuit was filed on April 2, 2021, claiming Watson “assaulted and harassed plaintiff by touching her with his penis and exposing himself.”

On April 8, Hardin was granted motions for hearings to determine whether the identities of the accusers should be disclosed, adding in a statement that “Mr. [Tony] Buzbee’s use of anonymous lawsuits violates Texas law and the basic concept of fairness.”

After one of the previous 22 lawsuits had been dropped, a 23rd lawsuit was filed on April 14, 2021, with claims from a Houston makeup artist that Watson had sexually assaulted and harassed her during massages in September 2020 and November 2020.

In March 2022, a grand jury in Houston declined to indict Watson in a criminal case. There had been 10 criminal complaints field against him and nine of them had been rejected. Prosecutors did not present the 10th complaint.

“We are delighted that the grand jury has looked at the matter thoroughly and reached the same conclusion we did. Deshaun Watson did not commit any crimes and is not guilty of any offenses,” Hardin said in a statement. “Now that the criminal investigations have been completed, we are happy to move forward with the civil case depositions. We will vigorously defend those cases with every ounce we have.”

It was more than a year that another lawsuit was filed, when following an appearance by two accusers on “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel” on HBO, a plaintiff said she was “struck by the courage” of Ashley Solis and Kyla Hayes who spoke on the show. The plaintiff accused Watson of exposing himself and touching the plaintiff between her legs and requesting to have sex with her.

The 25th civil lawsuit was filed on June 6, 2022. In the suit, the plaintiff, a massage therapist, said Watson masturbated in front of her during the first session and ejaculated on her during the second appointment in August 2020.

The lawsuit also referenced comments made by Watson’s attorney Rusty Hardin during a radio interview days earlier in which he said a “happy ending” is not illegal. Hardin walked back his remarks later in the day but maintained that Watson “did nothing wrong.”

Deshaun Watson settlements

In all, 25 civil lawsuits had been filed against Watson, with one of them being dropped. But at the time of Watson’s suspension, he faces only one remaining civil lawsuits.

On June 21, Buzbee announced in a statement that 20 of the 24 civil lawsuits against Watson had been settled.

The terms of the settlement are confidential.

MORE: What Watson’s settlements mean (and don’t mean) for Browns QB, NFL decision

The settlements meant that Watson would not have to face all 24 of those cases at trial. Previously, it was expected he would have to go to trial for all 24 civil lawsuits after the conclusion of the 2022 NFL season.

Solis, the first therapist to go public with claims of sexual assault from Watson, was one of those who had previously decided not to settle her case.

“Ashley Solis is one of the heroes of this story,” Buzbee said in the statement. “Her case has not settled and thus her story and that of the other three brave women will continue. I look forward to trying these cases in due course, consistent with other docket obligations and the court’s schedule.”

Hours before the first suspension ruling came down on Aug. 1, ESPN reported three of the remaining four lawsuits had been settled, including Solis’ case. Buzbee confirmed that in a statement but did not say which plaintiff’s case remained active. 

Texans’ involvement in massage encounters

On June 8, The New York Times reported the Texans’ director of security had provided Watson with a non-disclosure agreement for him to ask several massage therapists to sign prior to appointments.

The article cited findings from depositions of the civil lawsuits and found the team gave him the form after Nia Smith, who filed the 24th total civil lawsuit, posted text messages and Cash App receipts from Watson on Instagram.

The Times also reported the team had helped set up “a place” for Watson to have massages in a hotel in Houston, and that at least seven women met Watson at the hotel, The Houstonian, away from the team. Two of the women filed civil lawsuits against Watson and two others brought complaints to the police.

In response to The Times’ report, Hardin said, “When the real facts are known this issue will appear in a different light.”

Buzbee added the Texans and others to the civil lawsuits as defendants, saying that the team “facilitated Deshaun Watson’s conduct.”

On June 27, Buzbee announced that he had filed a civil lawsuit against the Texans, claiming they “turned a blind eye” to Watson’s conduct. The Texans reached settlements with all 30 of the plaintiffs on July 15.

MORE: Explaining Deshaun Watson’s contract after NFL suspension

Deshaun Watson contract

Watson was traded during the offseason and signed a five-year, $230 million deal with Cleveland, and his first year’s salary was reduced to just north of $1 million ($1,035,000 to be exact). That base salary is paid out over 18 weeks during the regular season — 17 games and one bye week — and Watson is expected to miss 11 games as a result of the suspension and settlement agreement.

Watson will forfeit 1/18th of his salary ($57,500) for each week he misses. As such, his suspension will cost him a total of $632,500 of his base salary.

Watson’s $8,993,000 signing bonus for the season is not impacted by the suspension. His salary over the next four seasons will be $46 million per year. The Browns have previously not been reported to have any interest in voiding his contract.

Watson had previously signed a four-year, $177.5 million extension that would be going into effect for the 2022 season.

According to Spotrac, here’s a breakdown of his yearly salary and bonus.

Year Salary Bonus
2022 $1,035,000 $8,993,000
2023 $46 million $8,993,000
2024 $46 million $8,993,000
2025 $46 million $8,993,000
2026 $46 million $8,993,000

Is Deshaun Watson’s contract guaranteed?

Watson’s contract from the Browns set the record for the most guaranteed money given out in a contract with all $230 million in the deal being guaranteed.

Previously, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers had set the mark during the same offseason when he signed a three-year, $150.3 million deal to remain in Green Bay. Before that, Allen held the record for guaranteed money at $150 million guaranteed.

Here’s where he ranks among average annual value among quarterbacks.

Year Salary Bonus
1 Aaron Rodgers $50.3 million
2 Deshaun Watson $46 million
3 Patrick Mahomes $45 million
4 Josh Allen $40 million
5 Dak Prescott $40 million

MORE: The NFL’s 25 highest-paid players in 2022

Longest suspensions in NFL history

In suspending Watson for 11 games, the NFL has handed Watson the longest suspension for either violent or non-violent sexual conduct in the personal conduct policy.

Here’s a look at the longest suspensions in NFL history, according to the league:

Year Player Suspension length Reason
1989 Stanley Wilson Life (banned) Substance abuse
1989 Dexter Manley Life (reinstated) Substance abuse
1990 Earl Ferrell Life (retired) Substance abuse
1990 Frank Warren Life (reinstated) Substance abuse
1990 Terry Taylor Life (reinstated) Substance abuse
2007 Michael Vick 2-plus seasons Dogfighting
2009 Plaxico Burress 2-plus seasons Accidental shooting
1988 Tony Collins 2 seasons Substance abuse
2002 Darrell Russell 1 year, 10 months Substance abuse
2000 Dale Carter 1 year, 6 months Substance abuse
2009 Donte Stallworth 1 year DUI manslaughter
1996 Leon Lett 1 season Substance abuse
1963 Paul Hornung 1 season Gambling
1963 Alex Karas 1 season Gambling
1983 Mike Reilly 1 season Substance abuse
1983 Art Schlichter 1 season Gambling
1992 Tim Worley 1 season Substance abuse
1995 Chuck Levy 1 season Substance abuse
1995 Carlton Haselrig 1 season Substance abuse
1996 Roosevelt Potts 1 season Substance abuse
1996 Larry Webster 1 season Substance abuse
2000 Josh Evans 1 season Substance abuse
2002 Tyrone Robertson 1 season Substance abuse
2005 Onterrio Smith 1 season Substance abuse
2005 Kendyll Pope 1 season Substance abuse
2006 Ricky Williams 1 season Substance abuse
2006 Odell Thurman 1 season Substance abuse
2006 Koren Robinson 1 season Substance abuse
2007 Adam Jones 1 season Personal conduct

The Sporting News’ Jacob Camenker also contributed to this report.

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