Comparing Deshaun Watson's six-game ban to other major suspensions this year in sports ft. Trevor Bauer, Calvin Ridley, and more

Deshaun Watson has been one of the biggest storylines of the 2022 NFL offseason and in the entire world of sports. He has been accused of sexual misconduct by 24 women. While he avoided being indicted on criminal charges, he still faced 24 civil lawsuits.

While 23 of the cases have since been settled out of court, Deshaun Watson recently received a six-game suspension from the NFL. They suspended the quarterback for violating their personal conduct policy.

He will miss about a third of the 2022 NFL season. This may seem lengthy at first, but not when compared to other suspensions that have been handed out in sports this year. Here are five examples.

#1 - DeAndre Hopkins, 6 games

Arizona Cardinals WR DeAandre Hopkins

DeAndre Hopkins has been suspended by the NFL after failing a mandatory drug test. He was found guilty of having trace amounts of a banned substance show up on his drug test and thus using PEDs. Hopkins denies ever having cheated, claiming the incident was some sort of mistake.

Hopkins will be sidelined for the first six games of the 2022 NFL season for his violation. He received the exact same suspension as Deshaun Watson, who will miss the same game-time this year.

#2 - Matt Harvey, 60 games

Los Angeles Angels SP Matt Harvey

When Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs passed away from a drug overdose, many were questioned about the events leading up to it. Matt Harvey testified on the witness stand while under immunity from being criminally convicted. He said that he used drugs and occasionally provided them to Skaggs.

The immunity prevented Harvey from ever being charged, but the MLB suspended him for 60 games for his involvement in the incident. Like Deshaun Watson and DeAndre Hopkins, the suspension spans about a third of one regular season.

#3 - Calvin Ridley, entire 2022 season

Atlanta Falcons WR Calvin Ridley

Calvin Ridley temporarily stepped away from the Atlanta Falcons during the 2021 season to take some time off for personal reasons. During his absence, he was found guilty of placing two separate wagers on NFL games totaling $1,500. NFL players are prohibited from wagering any amount in any NFL game while they are still currently employed by the league.

Calvin Ridley received major punishment for violating the league's gambling rules and is officially suspended for the entire 2022 season. While it's important for the NFL to protect the integrity of the game, it seems a bit off that Ridley's suspension is nearly triple the length of Deshaun Watson's.

#4 - Trevor Bauer, 2 years

Los Angeles Dodgers SP Trevor Bauer

Trevor Bauer came under investigation for serious domestic violence accusations during the 2021 MLB season. While he was never charged criminally, the case was presented to the MLB for a major violation of their personal conduct policy.

Bauer was hit with a massive two-year suspension from the MLB, the longest ever suspension for domestic violence in MLB history. He also missed more than half of the 2021 MLB season while on administrative leave during the investigation. This will not be credited as time served. Bauer's total time away will be more than seven times as long as Deshaun Watson.

#5 - Ksenia Palkina, 16 years

Ksenia Palkina was accused of fixing tennis matches

Ksenia Palkina was accused of fixing tennis matches that she played in during the 2018 and 2019 seasons. After a lengthy multi-year investigation, Palkina eventually admitted to intentionally sabotaging matches. She deliberately affected the outcome and determined the winner from a sports betting angle.

Palkina received a massive 16 year suspension for participating in the scandal. Ten years of the suspension must be served immediately, essentially making this a career-ending ban, as she will be nearly 40 years old at the conclusion of it. This is obviously much longer than what Deshaun Watson received.