The Facts: Watson's hearing before the NFL and NFLPA's jointly appointed disciplinary officer Sue L. Robinson is scheduled to begin Tuesday, league sources told ESPN.
Diehards Line:Robinson will listen as the NFL expects to push for a "lengthy" suspension for Watson while the NFLPA defends the Cleveland Browns quarterback who at one point faced 24 civil lawsuits that accused him of sexual assault and inappropriate conduct during massage sessions while with the Houston Texans. He has agreed to settle 20 of those suits. The NFL is likely to base its proposed discipline on only a fraction of those women's testimony, one source told ESPN's Adam Schefter, as the league was unable to speak with a portion of the women who interacted with Watson. Robinson has no track record of ruling on any cases involving NFL players, but one source believed a decision from her could come within a week but also might take up until training camp. The NFL hopes for clarity on this case before training camp begins in late July. Once Robinson rules, both sides have the option to appeal and commissioner Roger Goodell can either rule on the appeal or call on in an independent ruler on it.