Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson's hearing before the NFL and players' association's jointly appointed disciplinary officer is scheduled to begin Tuesday, reports ESPN's Adam Schefter.
The NFL is pushing for an indefinite suspension that would last no shorter than one year, according to Andrew Beaton of The Wall Street Journal. Watson would need to apply to be reinstated after the 2022 season, at the earliest.
On Tuesday, Watson reached settlements with 20 of the 24 women who sued him and accused him of sexual misconduct or sexual assault during massage sessions.
The NFL is likely to base its proposed discipline on a fraction of those women's testimony, a source told Schefter. The league reportedly wasn't able to speak to some of the women who made allegations against the 26-year-old.
While disciplinary officer Sue L. Robinson's decision apparently could be made within a week, it might take until the beginning of training camp in late July.
Both the league and NFLPA have the option to appeal the officer's ruling under revised rules for the NFL's personal conduct policy in the new collective bargaining agreement. Either commissioner Roger Goodell or an independent ruler would then make a final verdict.
