Watson's immediate playing future in the NFL is in limbo after the NFL appealed a six-game ban handed by independent arbiter Sue L. Robinson last week for violating the league's personal conduct policy.
The league was seeking a minimum one-year suspension as well as a fine of at least $5million. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has appointed Peter C. Harvey to hear the appeal.
In the meantime, the Browns announced on Wednesday that Watson would play in Friday's preseason opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Ahead of Friday's game, Watson appeared in an in-house video where he spoke about the situation and apologized for his actions for the first time, having previously said he had "no regrets".
"I want to say that I'm truly sorry to all of the women that I have impacted in this situation," Watson said.
"The decisions that I made in my life that put me in this position, I would definitely like to have back.
"But I want to continue to move forward and grow and learn and show that I am a true person of character and I am going to keep pushing forward."
Watson had been facing 24 civil lawsuits filed by female message therapists alleging sexual misconduct between 2020 and 2021 during his time with the Texans.
The three-time Pro Bowler was not charged by two grand juries and has strenuously denied any wrongdoing. He settled 20 of the lawsuits in June, with a further three settlements reported at the start of August ahead of the verdict of his NFL hearing.
Friday's appearance marked Watson's in an NFL game of any kind since the 2020 season finale, dating back to January 3 2021.
The Houston Texans had held him out of all of their 2021 games while a criminal investigation into the allegations was conducted. He was traded to the Browns in March this year.
"Each and every snap, I want to make sure I cherish that because I'm not sure when the next time I'll be able to get out there with those guys," he said.
Watson added that he would work on personal growth during his probable time out of the game.
"I know I have a lot of work to put in, especially on the field to be able to make sure I'm ready to play whenever that time comes whenever I can step back on the field," he said.
"But also, the biggest thing is I want to continue counseling and I want to make sure that I'm growing as a person, as an individual for my decision-making on and off the field.
"I want to make sure that I'm just evolving in the community as much as possible, and that is for the Cleveland community, that is the NFL community and beyond."
The Browns announced Wednesday that Watson will start Friday's preseason opener against the Jaguars in Jacksonville, though it is unclear how much the embattled quarterback will play in his first appearance since being acquired from the Houston Texans in March.
Watson is facing a suspension of at least six games for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy but is eligible to play in the preseason. The three-time Pro Bowler had been facing 24 civil lawsuits filed by female message therapists alleging sexual misconduct between 2020 and 2021 during his time with the Texans.
He was not charged by two grand juries and has strenuously denied any wrongdoing. Watson settled 20 of the lawsuits in June, with a further three settlements reported at the start of August ahead of the verdict of his NFL hearing.
The NFL announced last week it will appeal arbiter Judge Sue L. Robinson's ruling in hopes of extending the ban. The league was seeking a minimum one-year suspension as well as a fine of at least $5million.
"We decided it was the right thing to do," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Tuesday at the league's owners meetings in Bloomington, Minnesota.
"We've seen the evidence. [Judge Robinson] was very clear about the evidence. She reinforced the evidence, that there was multiple violations here and they were egregious, and it was predatory behavior. Those are things that we always felt were important for us to address in a way that's responsible."
The Browns signed Watson to a five-year, $230m fully guaranteed extension following the trade and structured the deal so he would face lesser financial penalties in the event of a suspension. He is due a base salary of only $690,000 in 2022.
Watson has not appeared in an NFL game of any kind since the 2020 season finale. The Texans held him out of all of their 2021 games while a criminal investigation into the allegations was conducted.
A grand jury ultimately dropped all criminal charges in March, and Watson's attorneys have since settled all but one of the civil cases.
Cleveland coach Kevin Stefanski did not reveal his quarterback plans for the preseason when speaking to reporters Tuesday. The Browns held a closed practice Wednesday and were set to fly to Jacksonville later in the evening.
"We have a framework for how we are going to handle this preseason," Stefanski said Tuesday. "As you know, you always reserve the right to change your mind based on how practice goes and those types of things, but we are pretty confident in the plan we have."
Veteran Jacoby Brissett, who is 14-23 in 37 career starts, will serve as the Browns' quarterback during Watson's suspension. The journeyman started five games for the Miami Dolphins last season and finished the campaign with 1,283 passing yards, five touchdown passes, four interceptions and a 78.1 passer rating.
A day after a group of players, led by Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes, sent a powerful message to the NFL, Goodell responded.
It comes amid protests across the United States in the wake of the death of George Floyd, who died in police custody in Minneapolis last week.
Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick started kneeling during the United States national anthem in 2016 in protest against racial injustice and police brutality.
In a video posted on social media on Friday, Goodell acknowledged the NFL should have listened to its players earlier.
"It has been a difficult time for our country, in particular black people in our country. First, my condolences to the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and all the families who have endured police brutality," he said.
"We, the National Football League, condemn racism and the systematic oppression of black people. We, the National Football League, admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest. We, the National Football League, believe black lives matter.
"I personally protest with you and want to be part of the much-needed change in this country. Without black players, there would be no National Football League and the protests around the country are emblematic of the centuries of silence, inequality and oppression of black players, coaches, fans and staff.
"We are listening, I am listening and I will be reaching out to players who have raised their voices and others on how we can improve and go forward for a better and more united NFL family."
Floyd – an African-American man – died in Minneapolis after a police officer was filmed kneeling on his neck during an arrest on Monday.
Violent protests have broken out across the USA since Floyd's death, during which he was filmed crying out for help as he was handcuffed and pinned to the ground.
In a statement released by the NFL on Saturday, Goodell said: "The NFL family is greatly saddened by the tragic events across our country.
"The protesters' reactions to these incidents reflect the pain, anger and frustration that so many of us feel.
"Our deepest condolences go out to the family of Mr. George Floyd and to those who have lost loved ones, including the families of Ms. Breonna Taylor in Louisville, and Mr. Ahmaud Arbery, the cousin of Tracy Walker of the Detroit Lions.
"As current events dramatically underscore, there remains much more to do as a country and as a league. These tragedies inform the NFL's commitment and our ongoing efforts. There remains an urgent need for action.
"We recognise the power of our platform in communities and as part of the fabric of American society. We embrace that responsibility and are committed to continuing the important work to address these systemic issues together with our players, clubs and partners."
The quarterback opted to kneel during the 2016 season in protest against racial injustice and police brutality. He was released at the end of the campaign by the San Francisco 49ers and has not played in the league since.
Kaepernick filed a grievance against the NFL in 2017, accusing owners of colluding to keep him out of a job. A settlement was reached in his case in February 2019.
Appearing on former NFL linebacker Emmanuel Acho's YouTube series titled 'Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man', Goodell was asked what he would say in a public apology to Kaepernick
"Well, the first thing I'd say is I wished we had listened earlier, Kaep, to what you were kneeling about and what you were trying to bring attention to," he told Acho.
"We had invited him in several times to have the conversation, to have the dialogue. I wish we had the benefit of that.
"We never did and, you know, we would've benefited from that. Absolutely."
Goodell also spoke about the topic of players kneeling in general, insisting such an action has been misinterpreted as being unpatriotic and anti-military.
Instead, the commissioner believes it is a message to "bring attention to something that needs to get fixed".
"It is not about the flag. The message here that what our players are doing is being mischaracterised," Goodell said.
"These are not people who are unpatriotic. They're not disloyal. They're not against our military. In fact, many of those guys were in the military and they're a military family.
"What they were trying to do is exercise their right to bring attention to something that needs to get fixed.
"That misrepresentation of who they were and what they were doing was the thing that really gnawed at me."
The preseason was called off amid the coronavirus pandemic, with the regular season due to begin on September 10.
In the letter, Goodell said this season would be unlike any other due to coronavirus.
"COVID-19 will continue to present a major challenge to nearly every area of American life. Football is no exception," he wrote.
"Every step of the way, our focus has been on the safety of players, coaches, personnel, fans and our communities. Our planning has followed the lead of medical experts and public health officials, including the CDC, the White House Task Force, governors and state health officials.
"As we have developed our 2020 playbook for the return of football, safety continues to be our first priority; that commitment will remain paramount as players return to the field.
"The NFL in 2020 will not look like other years. Players and coaches will be tested for the virus regularly, including every day for a while. Preseason games have been cancelled. Everyone in the team environment must follow rigorous health and safety protocols to keep themselves and each other safe.
"When there is a positive test, strict regulations will be enforced to isolate and care for that individual and to contain the virus before it spreads. Even the sideline will look different.
"And, state and local health guidelines will help determine whether fans will attend the games. These adjustments are necessary to reduce the risk for everyone involved.
"Thanks to the collaboration of the players and a lot of hard work from our clubs, especially their medical and training staffs, our plans are in place for the 2020 season."
There have been more than 16 million confirmed cases of coronavirus around the world, with the death toll exceeding 655,000.
The United States has seen more than 150,000 deaths.
Watson faced 24 civil lawsuits following sexual assault and misconduct allegations. He was not charged by two grand juries and has strenuously denied any wrongdoing.
The Cleveland Browns quarterback settled 20 of the lawsuits in June, with a further three settlements reported at the start of August ahead of the verdict of his NFL hearing.
Former US district judge Sue L. Robinson oversaw those proceedings and concluded Watson should miss six games with no additional fine.
But the NFL felt, having reviewed that decision, the evidence uncovered by Robinson required a harsher punishment, and it has used its right to appeal.
It is widely reported the league believes Watson should be suspended for the entire 2022 season, and Goodell outlined why this is the case.
"We've seen the evidence," he said. "[Robinson] was very clear about the evidence, should we enforce the evidence – that there were multiple violations here, and they were egregious, and it was predatory behaviour.
"Those are things that we always felt were important for us to address in a way that's responsible."
The NFL commissioner is set for a "multi-year" new deal, according to ESPN.
Goodell, who has been in his post since 2006, has previously signed extensions in 2009, 2012 and 2017.
The 64-year-old's most recent deal was said to be worth $200million over five years.
ESPN's report said no length of time had yet been agreed for Goodell's upcoming deal, although "the sides have discussed a three-year extension".
Reported by Adam Schefter, it added: "The coming years also are expected to bring an increasing emphasis on identifying potential candidates to be Goodell's successor."
The two commissioners before Goodell, Pete Rozelle and Paul Tagliabue, retired at 63 and 65 respectively.
Only four of the 32 NFL teams have minority head coaches, with just two of 13 openings filled by such candidates over the past two years.
San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh and Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, whose teams face off in Super Bowl LIV on Sunday, were thought to be leading contenders for the five jobs available after this season but both were overlooked.
That has led to Goodell admitting the Rooney Rule, which was established in 2003 and requires teams to interview minority candidates for head coach and other senior positions, must be looked at.
"Clearly, we are not where we want to be on this level," Goodell said at his annual pre-Super Bowl address on Wednesday.
"We have a lot of work that's gone into not only the Rooney Rule but our policies overall.
"It's clear we need to change and do something different. There's no reason to expect that we're going to have a different outcome next year without those kinds of changes, and we've already begun engaging in those changes.
"Not just with our diversity committee, not just with the Fritz Pollard Alliance, but others, and trying to figure out what steps we can take next that would lead to better outcomes.
"It's clear we are all committed to doing that and we have to make those changes.
"So, we will have a series of meetings, which we've already scheduled, over the next month to get that kind of dialogue going, to continue the dialogue and to try to determine what are the solutions, so we can have those better outcomes."
Seven-time Pro Bowler Brown has not played a down in the NFL since September, when he was cut by the New England Patriots after just 11 days amid allegations of sexual assault and rape.
The NFL launched an investigation into those accusations and suggested Brown, who had a try-out with the New Orleans Saints in December, would be placed on the commissioner's exempt list - barring him from playing until the probe was concluded - should he sign for another team.
Last week an arrest warrant was issued for the 31-year-old on charges of burglary with battery and criminal mischief, with a judge freeing Brown from house arrest on Tuesday.
Goodell was asked for an update on the NFL's investigation into Brown on Wednesday at his annual pre-Super Bowl address, and he was keen to stress the player's mental state is of paramount importance.
"I think [with] Antonio's situation, I think the first thing, for all of us, is to talk about the well-being of Antonio, to understand what Antonio is going through," Goodell said.
"We don't talk about the wellness of our players publicly but I would tell you that you can be sure that the NFL and NFLPA have a tremendous amount of resources that are available to all players. They are going to be made available to Antonio.
"We want to help get him on the right track and get him in a position where he is in a zone where he thinks he can be successful in life.
"We are confident that can happen. We want to work to do that. From our standpoint, that's the first step - making sure we're doing everything to help Antonio."
Only two of seven vacant head coach positions have been filled by a diverse candidate, with the New York Jets hiring Robert Saleh – the first NFL coach known to be Muslim – and the Houston Texans appointing David Culley, who becomes just one of three black head coaches currently in the league.
NFL commissioner Goodell noted positives in other positions but said alternative avenues to encourage more diversity will be explored.
"It's much broader than just head coaches for us, but the head coaches are important, and we put a lot of our policies and focus on that this year as you know," Goodell said at a pre-Super Bowl LV news conference.
"We had two minority coaches hired this year, but it wasn't what we expected and it's not what we expect going forward.
"So, for us we want to continue to look and see what went right and what went wrong. There needs to be visual discussions with candidates both successful and unsuccessful candidates of the teams and try to understand it.
"They're not the outcomes we wanted and we're committed more than ever to make sure that we do that but we want it to be a natural process. We want it to be a process that is what we believe in diversity is making us better ultimately."
The coronavirus pandemic led to the cancellation of five games that were due to take place in London and Mexico City last year due to uncertainty over travel amid the global health crisis.
Goodell is planning for the international fixtures to return to the calendar this year, though warned the league is ready to pull the plug again if the situation demands such action.
"We are planning for our international games in 2021. That's the approach we're going to take, we obviously are going to stay in close contact with our partners in the UK and in Mexico and make sure that we are doing that safely," he added.
"If at any point in time, we don't think we could execute that safely we will make that determination like last year. I think we ended up deciding not to play the international sometime right before the schedule was announced.
"I think it was in April and that I think that was done after a lot of consultation not only with our medical officials, but also looking at the risks with the Players Association of travelling the entire party over in a stadium where we weren't able to implement our protocols.
"So, we hope to get back there and we're planning for it and we'll make that decision whenever we have enough information to do so."
An ESPN report on Saturday revealed Brady was set to bring his career to a close after 22 seasons in the NFL.
Those claims were soon disputed, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers superstar "still going through the process" on Monday as he discussed his future.
But Tuesday brought an official statement from the 44-year-old on his Instagram page.
Brady commented that the sport required "100 per cent competitive commitment" but he could no longer live up to that expectation, choosing instead to focus "time and energy on other things that require my attention".
His retirement sees the NFL lose an icon and star who has thrilled audiences for nearly quarter of a century, with his seven Super Bowl wins unmatched by anyone in the sport's history, and Goodell paid tribute to Brady's longevity and legacy.
"Tom Brady will be remembered as one of the greatest to ever play in the NFL," Goodell said in a statement.
"An incredible competitor and leader, his stellar career is remarkable for its longevity but also for the sustained excellence he displayed year after year.
"Tom made everyone around him better and always seemed to rise to the occasion in the biggest moments.
"His record five Super Bowl MVP awards and seven Super Bowl championships set a standard that players will chase for years.
"He inspired fans in New England, Tampa and around the world with one of the greatest careers in NFL history.
"It has been a privilege to watch him compete and have him in the NFL. We thank him for his many contributions to our game and wish Tom and his family all the best in the future."
