Here Are the Longest N.F.L. Player Suspensions

Deshaun Watson’s 11-game suspension, reached in a settlement, came after the N.F.L. appealed his original six-game punishment. The league’s system of player discipline has been criticized for inconsistencies.

Commissioner Roger Goodell has levied stricter player suspensions than his predecessors.Credit…Larry W Smith/EPA, via Shutterstock

Quarterback Deshaun Watson, who has been accused of sexual misconduct by more than two dozen women, was suspended for 11 games and fined $5 million after a settlement with the N.F.L.

The penalty marked an increase over a six-game suspension initially handed to Watson by an arbitrator on Aug. 1 after a disciplinary hearing, which did not include a fine. The N.F.L. appealed the arbitrator’s recommendation after backlash from many legal experts and victims’ rights advocates who said it had been too lenient.

Watson’s penalty is among the most severe in the league’s history of disciplining players, a process which has long been criticized for inconsistencies and potential conflicts of interest.

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