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Watson, NFL Settle; QB Suspended 11 Games, Fined $5 Million
The NFL and NFL Players Association on Thursday reached a settlement in the Deshaun Watson disciplinary matter, agreeing that the Cleveland Browns quarterback will serve an 11-game suspension after he was accused by more than two dozen women of sexual misconduct during massage sessions, a league source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Multiple outlets are reporting the same.

Watson will also pay a fine of $5 million that will go to charity, the source said. The deal still has not been signed but is agreed upon. As Profootballtalk.com notes, the fine equates to half of his salary from 2021. He didn’t play at all. But for the off-field issues, he would have been traded (most likely to the Dolphins) and he would have played.

Additionally, Watson -- who told CBS Sports' Aditi Kinkhabwala last Friday he has been undergoing counseling for months -- is required to “promptly undergo a professional evaluation by behavioral experts and will follow their treatment program. ...”

A leaked draft press release also mentions mandatory evaluation and another $2 million from the NFL and the Browns that will be given to relevant non-profit organizations that work to minimize and prevent sexual misconduct and assault.

The final decision represents a negotiated settlement between the NFL and the NFL Players Association. It ends the internal process completely, and it results in no litigation or other efforts to fight the punishment.

Watson’s suspension will commence as of August 30. He’ll be eligible to return on November 28.

With Watson out, the Browns will play their first 11 games with Jacoby Brissett as their starting QB. Watson’s first game back is now scheduled to be in week 13 at Houston against the Texans.