NFL enhances Personal Conduct Policy, again
A year after the NFL imposed an 11-game suspension on Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson for sexual misconduct during massage-therapy sessions, the league has enhanced the Personal Conduct Policy.
Via Jenny Vrentas of the New York Times, the revised policy expands the offenses that could result in more serious punishment to include sexual assault “involving threats or coercion.” The new policy also includes “a pattern of conduct” and “offenses that involve planning" as specific factors that could enhance punishment.
“We annually review our policies and programs with an eye toward continuous improvement based off previous experiences," an NFL spokesperson told Vrentas.
Watson's defense hinged in part on the notion that there was no evidence of physical force. His punishment was determined by Judge Sue L. Robinson.
The changes were made, as Vrentas notes, without bargaining with the NFL Players Association, because the broader authority to avoid conduct detrimental to the league falls within the Commissioner's general purview. The league last revised the Personal Conduct Policy in 2014, after the Ray Rice fiasco.
The problem in the Watson case was that the Personal Conduct Policy didn't specifically envision a situation like his, and it wasn't crafted broadly enough to encompass the unique and unprecedented facts of Watson's case. Now, if there's ever a similar circumstance involving an NFL player (and hopefully there never will be), the policy will contain the flexibility to impose a much longer suspension.
That said, there's a lingering belief in some league circles that some owners wanted Watson to be suspended for less than a full season, since that exhausted the first year of his five-year, fully-guaranteed deal. If he had been suspended for a full year, the Browns would have Watson under contract through 2027, not 2026.
As it stands, the pressure is on the Browns to get a return ASAP on their massive investment, since the relationship is entering year two of five.
