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The NFL will not use the Commissioner Exempt List for Deshaun Watson. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Tuesday the Browns quarterback is only subject to a suspension under the Personal Conduct Policy because two grand juries decided not to criminally indict Watson.
“The civil cases have been in play for the past year,” Goodell said. “The only thing that has changed is that the criminal element has at least been resolved and that was an important element in relation to the Commissioner Exempt List as discussed with the Players Association. So that was an important[Commissioner Exempt List decision].
“If the criminal had acted, it would most likely have triggered the commissioner exempt. I think at this point the civil process in and of itself would not do that. If there is a violation of the Personal Conduct Policy, that can trigger something, but that will most likely trigger some kind of disciplinary action in some way.”
Watson, who was traded from the Texans to the Browns on March 18, still faces 22 civil lawsuits against him alleging sexual assault and improper conduct during massage sessions. This is expected to result in a suspension under the Personal Conduct Policy, about which Goodell said the league was “clear with each club”.
Ben Roethlisberger was banned from the league for six games in 2010 over a pending rape lawsuit in Nevada after avoiding criminal charges in Georgia. The suspension was later reduced to four games. More recently, Ezekiel Elliott was suspended for six games in 2017 after pursuing a legal battle against the NFL when he repeatedly pleaded his innocence to allegations of domestic violence. He was never arrested or charged.
“The Personal Conduct Policy is something that is very important to us, so the Personal Conduct Policy does not have to be a criminal violation to be a violation of the Personal Conduct Policy,” Goodell said. “So they realize that’s something we’re going to pursue. We will make sure we get to the bottom of the facts and make sure how they apply to the Personal Conduct Policy. That’s where we are at this point. When we get to that, it will be decided whether there should be discipline and if so, which one.”
Goodell said there was no timeline to make a decision about Watson, who was in the Texans’ roster last season but didn’t play because the team put him inactive on game day.
“Our people are working on it,” he said. “Obviously these are serious allegations. We’re looking at this seriously. We obviously still have civil charges now, at least on the criminal side, so hopefully our investigators will have access to more information and that will obviously be helpful in concluding what the facts are and gave it is a violation of the Personal Conduct Policy, but that determination will be made by a joint disciplinary officer appointed by the NFLPA and the NFL. She’ll make that decision when all the facts are in, and we’ll see. There is no time frame for that.”