In addition to the suspension, Watson will be fined $5 million and will have to participate in mandatory counseling.
Watson released a statement via the team after the settlement was announced, saying in part: “I apologize for any pain this situation has caused. I take accountability for the decisions I made.”
But when he addressed reporters minutes later, Watson showed little contrition, repeating multiple times that he would continue to “stand on [his] innocence.”
Watson indicated that he was not admitting to any wrongdoing in agreeing to the settlement. Rather, Watson said his impending suspension allowed him to move forward with his life and his career.
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Watson routinely reiterated that his settlement with the league did not mean he was admitting to any misbehavior:
His agent, David Mulugheta, reiterated that stance in a tweet later Thursday.
Watson also addressed Judge Sue Robinson’s description of his actions as “more egregious than any before reviewed by the NFL”:
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Watson ended the presser by telling reporters that he planned on “telling [his] side of the story” at some point in the future:
Though Watson remains eligible to play in the preseason under the terms of the suspension, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters his QB would not appear in the team’s final two preseason games. Watson will not be eligible to return to the field until Week 13, when the Browns play his former team, the Texans, at NRG Stadium in Houston.
