When it comes to Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, the NFL has made no decision regarding whether to place Watson on paid leave because the Texans already are paying him to not play. If/when Watson attempts to play, the league will have to make a decision. For now, no decision is necessary.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Commissioner Roger Goodell based the absence of a decision on a lack of information.
“There obviously are other, I’ll call it legal approaches that are being made either through civil cases, obviously the police have been investigating also,” Goodell said. “We don’t have all the access to that information at this point in time, and we pride ourselves on not interfering in that, being cooperative as we can to make sure we get all the facts, but I think that process is still ongoing. And until that process is ongoing and we have enough data and enough information to be able to make a determination of whether he should go on Commissioner Exempt, we don’t feel that we have that necessary information at this point.”
Watson has not yet been formally charged with a crime. He faces 10 criminal complaints and 22 civil lawsuits for allegations of sexual misconduct during massage therapy sessions.
If Watson is indicted on felony charges, paid leave becomes inevitable. Until then, it’s hard to justify preventing him from playing, if/when he’s in a position to play.
Whether the league would place Watson on paid leave becomes a question separate and apart from whether he eventually will face an unpaid suspension. Once the dust settles on the criminal legal process, he may indeed be suspended without pay -- some in league circles believe it will be 6-8 games -- for the pattern of behavior that resulted in the lawsuits. Even though he denies wrongdoing, his lawyer has admitted that some massage therapy sessions became consensual sexual encounters. For reasons similar to the 2010 decision to suspend Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (who never as formally charged with a crime), Goodell could suspend Watson without pay.
That likely wouldn’t happen until 2022, at the earliest. For 2021, it remains unknown whether the league will let him play if he’s traded to a new team.
If he’s not traded, it’s not an issue. If/when he is, then the ball is squarely in the Court of Roger Goodell.
