NFL announces decision to appeal Deshaun Watson suspension

The Deshaun Watson suspension generated plenty of conversation around the NFL. Now, the league is taking matters into its own hands.

The NFL is appealing the decision to suspend Watson for six games, it announced Wednesday. The league had until 9 a.m. Thursday to make a final decision on an appeal, but announced it is, in fact, trying to add onto the suspension.

Now, Watson and the NFLPA have two days to respond to the appeal and three outside experts will make recommendations to commissioner Roger Goodell or one of his designees. Goodell or a designee will make the final determination on the appeal.

Watson faced 24 accusations of sexual assault and eventually settled 20 of them outside of court as of June. Judge Sue L. Robinson ruled to suspend him for six games without a fine for a violation of the NFL’s personal conduct policy, but the league is now working to extend that suspension.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter explains why the NFL is appealing the Deshaun Watson suspension

ESPN’s Adam Schefter started Wednesday’s edition of NFL Live discussing the decision and breaking down the next steps.

“This is a huge and significant step for the National Football League,” Schefter said. “Roger Goodell now will determine whether he or one of his designees will hear this appeal. The NFLPA is likely to take this decision to court and sue the NFL over it. So what looked like a story that could be coming to a close when Justice Sue L. Robinson issued her six-game suspension and written opinion on Monday may just be beginning.

“This could be the start of a very long legal drawn-out process, but Deshaun Watson is not going to play at the start of the season. His six-game suspension stands. The NFL is looking to add onto it and add onto it by a lot, I would imagine, because the league wanted an indefinite suspension with Deshaun Watson having to apply for reinstatement.”

Schefter also shared insight on what the NFL wants out of the appeal. He said it’s simple: the league wants to suspend Watson indefinitely.

“Six games is not enough in the [NFL’s] eyes,” Schefter said. “The NFLPA will have plenty to say about this, as well. It has two days to respond to the NFL’s appeal of this decision, and again, this now is just beginning. … I want to reiterate. In the NFL’s eye, six games was not enough. It was not near enough. The NFL is seeking an indefinite suspension. It was not happy about six games. In fact, I was told, it was very, very disturbed about the judge’s decision. And now, the NFL will seek to impose, once again, its own form of justice.”