What's taking the NFL so long to make a decision on Deshaun Watson's suspension?

Will Deshaun Watson be suspended this season? That is a question that continues to loom not just over the Cleveland Browns, but over the entire NFL following the NFL Draft.

The quarterback sat out the entire 2021 season and is still waiting to learn his fate for the 2021 season. While there is no guarantee that he will be suspended, there is also no guarantee that if he does, it will be for a short period of time.

But it is already mid-May and there is still no decision. What is taking so long? The answer is probably more obvious than you'd think. It could be that rather than a back-office conspiracy, the sheer number of accusations levied at the quarterback takes time to accurately analyze.

Evaluating Deshaun Watson's situation

The NFL is simply not yet ready to make a decision on the 26-year-old's future. In Watson's favor, is that he has not been found criminally liable for his alleged actions. But in reality all this has achieved is to avoid any time behind bars. But what it did not do was erase the significant active allegations present in the form of civil lawsuits.

The NFL has been conducting its own in-depth investigation without a definitive timeline. Once it's done, it's done. The Browns feel the time has come for a decision to be made, as they feel they may be at an unfair disadvantage. But they opened this door when they traded for the quarterback, and now they shall pass through it.

There is a unique parallel that arose recently that could prove significant. MLB star Trevor Bauer received a two-year suspension for his own alleged actions. His actions were very graphic in nature, though he was cleared criminally.

Does the NFL want to appear less harsh than MLB in terms of suspensions? The ongoing nature of this is what makes things so difficult for the NFL. If he is given a short ban and damaging information comes out, the league looks bad. If he gets a long ban and is then found innocent, the league also looks bad.

Recent reports indicate a decision is coming soon, we will just have to wait for the league to reach a verdict.