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Watson will be suspended 11 games. He’ll pay a fine of $5 million.The draft press release also mentions mandatory evaluation and another $2 million from the NFL and the Browns that will be given to relevant non-profit organizations that work to minimize and prevent sexual misconduct and assault. He’ll be eligible to return on November 28.

The decision of the Browns to trade for quarterback Deshaun Watson elicited mixed reactions from the team’s fans. Some loved it, off-field issues notwithstanding. Some hated it, given the off-field issues. There was no sign of negativity on Saturday, for the first public practice of training camp. As explained by Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Watson received an “enthusiastic reception” from fans who attended the session.

While it’s impossible to know the specific extent of the league’s argument based on an alleged habit of making massages into something other than massages without seeing the full transcript of the hearing, that could be the key to determining whether Judge Robinson would have a way to distinguish Watson’s behavior from Kraft’s and to impose discipline based not on any actual assault but on the alleged practice of trying to make massages into sexual encounters.

Another woman has filed a civil lawsuit against Deshaun Watson, raising the number of women who have accused the Cleveland Browns quarterback of inappropriate sexual conduct during massage sessions to 24. The lawsuit says the plaintiff massaged Watson twice. The first session, the lawsuit says, was cut short because "Watson had to leave abruptly after taking a phone call." The lawsuit says Watson scheduled a second massage a few days later, when the woman says that Watson exposed himself and masturbated and "offered no apology or explanation for his conduct." The lawsuit says the plaintiff "shortly thereafter quit massage therapy."...

An NFL player is in the middle of one of the largest controversies the league has ever seen, and the silence from key figures has never been more noticeable. New allegations against Deshaun Watson are coming in, and a lawsuit against the quarterback has now expanded to include the Houston Texans, but you’d never know anything was happening if you only paid attention to the NFL directly or the Cleveland Browns. On May 24, commissioner Roger Goodell said the league’s investigation into Watson was winding down. As recently as last week it was reported that the league had completed its...

Two women told Sports Illustrated in a story published Friday that they resent some of the tactics NFL investigators used in interviews with them regarding their contact with Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson. Ashley Solis told SI that NFL investigators asked her what she was wearing when she worked with Watson... "She explained that that's something that she has to ask -- which I don't believe at all," Solis told SI. NFL investigators Lisa Friel and Jennifer Gaffney, former prosecutors now running the league's personal conduct policy investigations, were the ones who talked to Solis, Lauren Baxley and another eight...

Tuesday’s press conference caused many to view the ongoing controversy involving Deshaun Watson differently. Among the many now viewing the situation differently, apparently, is Nike. Via CNBC.com, the sports apparel giant has suspended its endorsement deal with Watson. “We are deeply concerned by the disturbing allegations and have suspended Deshaun Watson. We will continue to closely monitor the situation,” Nike said in a statement. The move comes a day after two of Watson’s 22 accusers in civil court have revealed their names. One of them, Ashley Solis, appeared and spoke at Tuesday’s press conference.

An unprecedented week in the NFL culminated in a landscape-shifting 24 hours that appear to have dramatically changed the league's stance on player protests. Things are happening quickly, and you surely have questions. Is kneeling during the national anthem OK now? Does Colin Kaepernick have a chance to get back in? What role do politics play in all of this? Let's try and bring it all together. In a video message released Friday night, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell responded to a video released Thursday night by a collection of NFL stars including Michael Thomas, Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson. Goodell's...

A group of NFL players from across the league have gathered for a 70-second video demanding that the NFL deliver a clear message about racial injustice in the wake of the death of George Floyd.The video starts with Saints receiver Michael Thomas saying, “It’s been 10 days since George Floyd was brutally murdered.”Then comes DeAndre Hopkins to ask, “What will it take?”“For one of us to be murdered by police brutality?” Browns receiver Jarvis Landry adds.“What if I was George Floyd?” Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson asks.“If I was George Floyd,” Giants running back Saquon Barkley also asks.“What if I was...