The NFL has appealed Deshaun Watson’s six-game suspension for repeated sexual misconduct with massage therapists, as expected. When the appeal is heard, the Browns quarterback’s ban will almost assuredly be longer. Significantly longer, in all likelihood.
That said, an appeal also improves Watson’s chances to stay on the field in the short term. And play against the Jets in Week 2.
Watson’s widely-criticized suspension was handed down by Judge Sue L. Robinson, a disciplinary officer jointly appointed by the NFL and NFLPA. But in a collectively bargained quirk, all appeals are heard by league commissioner Roger Goodell or a designee of his choosing.