Analyst claims NFL only cares about five of 24 of Deshaun Watson’s victims

Deshaun Watson has been under fire from every angle since the 24 victims came forward alleging sexual misconduct about 18 months ago. Most would argue that each victim of the quarterback deserves either her day in court or a settlement.

However, one NFL analyst has revealed that the league is only focusing on five of the 24 cases in making its determination about the quarterback's punishment. Speaking on the Ross Tucker podcast, NFL analyst Andrew Brandt distinctly emphasized that the league was only interested in a small fraction of the cases. They will essentially be ignoring the other 19 cases. Here's how he put it:

“It's a different process, as has been reported. Judge Sue Robinson is a former federal judge in Delaware, where she's hearing this. She's appointed jointly by the NFLPA by the NFL, according to the new system of the CBA."

He continued, delivering the bombshell:

"She's hearing from the NFL, who I am told is focusing on five women -- not all 24 -- five women where I suppose there's particularly egregious conduct of Watson towards them in the massage rooms..."

He went on, ultimately predicting that the punishment will be resolved within the month:

"My sense is the hearing will end today or tomorrow. [Robinson] will ask for briefs from both sides like a legal proceeding and we'll have a determination from her within a week to two weeks and then a confirmation if we have an appeal or not. But I think this will be resolved before training camp.”

This, of course, invites a new round of questions. Why does the NFL only care about five cases? Some may argue that the league is working in the interest of time, as it is about to hit a new gear in the ramp up to the regular season. Others may speculate the league is only offended by five of the cases. Either way, this may become one of the outstanding mysteries of the entire Watson saga..

Deshaun Watson court recap

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In early 2021, Watson was accused by more than 20 women of sexual misconduct during private massage sessions. The accusations spawned a massive number of civil and criminal lawsuits. Over the ensuing year, the accusations factored into the quarterback's decision not to play football.

In early 2022, the criminal charges were dismissed, leaving Watson with all of his civil cases to deal with. In recent weeks, the quarterback settled 20 of the lawsuits out of court, leaving four still in progress. Today, the quarterback is on the doorstep of learning how long he will be suspended from the league.

Most are expecting a ruling to be handed down in the month of July. At this time, no certain timetable is known. Will the quarterback step onto the football field in 2022?

If any of the above quotes are used, please credit the Ross Tucker podcast and H/T Sportskeeda.