The fallout from Deshaun Watson’s six-game suspension continued this week.
Watson faced 24 civil lawsuits alleging sexual misconduct during massage appointments and has since settled with 20 of his accusers. Once the decision on his suspension was announced, the National Organization for Women released a fiery statement.
“It is unacceptable, insulting, and dangerous—but not surprising—that Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson will face merely a 6-game suspension—with no fines—following an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct made by more than two dozen women,” the National Organization for Women’s statement said.
The organization also pointed out that Watson was rewarded with a new contract this offseason.
“The NFL and the multi-billion-dollar sports industry have a vested interest in enabling sexual misconduct, assault, and violence. They even wrote it into Deshaun Watson’s $230 million contract! The Browns knew that their star recruit would be suspended for at least part of this year’s season because of his record of sex offenses, and so they restructured his contract to make the majority of his $46 million first-year payout a ‘signing bonus,’ not tied to him playing actual games”
The league still has the chance to appeal the 6-game suspension in hopes of him receiving more games. If they don’t Watson will be suiting up in Week 7 against the Baltimore Ravens.
