What lies ahead in the Deshaun Watson-NFL standoff?

The Deshaun Watson saga continues as the NFL preseason gets underway. Anyone who thought it would be over following the recommendation of a six-game suspension has, unfortunately, been proven wrong.

So what comes next? That is what all Cleveland Browns fans want to know as the season gets closer by the day.

Well, we now know the NFL has appealed the decision. The league has appointed someone other than Roger Goodell to make a new final decision.

However, Watson's camp has made it clear that they could take this to federal court, depending on the decision. That makes all of this very murky and creates several potential outcomes.

The Deshaun Watson saga has a few serious potential outcomes

Cleveland Browns Training Camp

One notable potential outcome is the NFL coming back and giving the quarterback an indefinite or full-season suspension. The fact the league appealed in the first place points toward them wanting a harsher punishment. And if that is the case, nothing is better than a full-year ban.

This could be considered the nuclear option because it would trigger a lawsuit in federal court on Watson's behalf. In such a scenario, a judge could grant an injunction that would allow him to play while the lawsuit is playing out.

Yet that is where the situation gets tricky. That is because the players bargained for the process that saw Judge Sue L. Robinson hand down the six-game suspension recommendation. So he may still have to serve the suspension, even if he takes it to federal court. Not doing so would make the entire process void and basically obsolete.

This is where certain unknowns come into play. What is known for sure is that he will fight such a harsh ban in court.

But what about something like 12 games? He would still have a chance to play this season. That should mark the end of the discipline he faces from the league for his actions. Taking that length of ban to court may create more harm than good because it could all be over and done with after those 12 games.

At this point, anything less than 12 games seems unlikely. Otherwise, the league wouldn't challenge the decision of six games. They want to send a message and are prepared to go into a legal battle to do so.

Unfortunately, this is all bad news for the Browns and their fans. The team is stuck in limbo. Watson playing while dealing with a federal lawsuit is a huge distraction. It could also result in him playing one week and being out indefinitely the next.

Fans want a definitive answer and should get one on the NFL's decision rather soon. The only problem is that the decision will lead to another counter from Watson and his team. This is not going away anytime soon. Unfortunately, Browns fans will end up suffering for a decision made by ownership that was clearly not thought about long enough.