It’s possible Watson would be required to agree to counseling. The problem that Deshaun Watson has isn’t the court of public opinion, but even if he did what he acknowledges having done, it’s still problematic and at least a level of unusual activity for an NFL player and can be misconstrued as misconduct.” It should be facts, information and it should be whether the behavior rises to the form of punishment for a player. “Public sentiment should not be the driving force behind a punishment. Of course, the NFL’s disciplinary process is set up to avoid emotional and reactionary punishment. Marc Ganis, the president of sports consulting firm Sportscorp Ltd., said the league can’t punish Watson based on the majority view. The person familiar with the league’s internal discussions told the AP the NFL has learned from past mistakes of leniency in cases involving violence or sexual assault against women and that the allegations against Watson are severe enough to warrant a strict penalty. The league is well aware of public opinion in Watson’s case.
