The NFL may be facing a lose-lose situation with the Deshaun Watson decision

The saga surrounding Deshaun Watson realistically must come to an end soon. Training camp is approaching, and his hearing with the NFL's independent investigator concluded days ago. That means the Cleveland Browns should know how their Week 1 offense will operate in the next week or so.

A dark cloud continues to hang over the entire situation. In fact, the NFL may be facing a lose-lose situation whether the suspension is short, long, or nonexistent.

Deshaun Watson will be a distraction for the NFL no matter what

Deshaun Watson Press Conference

One possibility is that the quarterback gets a short suspension or even not one at all. That would be seen as a huge victory for the Browns and the NFLPA. However, it would lead to immense backlash from fans, and potentially even players, who want to see Watson punished for his alleged actions.

The league's hope in such a scenario would be that it would pass with time. They have weathered many scandals before and would be prepared to do so again with a short suspension. Yet things could be different this time around, which is always a risk. The last thing the NFL wants is a permanent dark mark hanging over one of its franchises.

But let's get to the possibility of an indefinite or full-season suspension. For some, that is justice being served. However, several NFL insiders have revealed that such a suspension would trigger a lawsuit in federal court from the quarterback.

Such a high-profile lawsuit could be a disaster for the NFL at a time when all the focus should go back to the start of the season. There is also no telling how long the situation would drag on for. Would the league keep him out while such a case was ongoing, or would he get to play? This is a situation all sides should want to avoid at all costs.

So if a suspension is short, the NFL faces a terrible public relations situation filled with fan backlash. Yet the alternative is a lawsuit in federal court against the entire NFL.

The leak of information about the potential lawsuit seems to indicate a threat has been put out there by Watson's legal team and the NFLPA. That likely creates a scenario where the league is looking to negotiate a suspension for the quarterback. Of course, he wants a short one or none at all, while the league doesn't want to appear to soft on discipline.

How this situation ends will become clear very soon. However, there may be no true end in sight, especially if the situation leads to yet another lawsuit involving the quarterback. Fans must also remember there are still civil lawsuits on the table against him as well. This situation will not magically disappear, and there is likely no good outcome for the shield that is the NFL.