Former attorney general to hear appeal of Watson suspension
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has handed off Deshaun Watson’s discipline case to a lawyer with league connections and expertise in domestic violence and sexual assault.
Goodell chose former
New Jersey
Attorney
General Peter C. Harvey on Thursday to hear the league’s appeal of the six-game suspension without pay given to Cleveland’s quarterback, whose playing status hangs in the balance.
Watson was suspended this week by independent disciplinary officer Sue L. Robinson, who concluded he violated the league’s personal conduct policy after being accused of sexual misconduct by two dozen women in Texas.
The league, which had been pushing for an indefinite suspension for Watson, wanted further discipline and appealed Robinson’s ruling on Wednesday.
Under the collective bargaining agreement, the appeal gave power back to Goodell to enact punishment — something he’s done routinely during his tenure — but he instead chose Harvey, currently a partner at a law firm in New York, to hear the appeal.
With a background in criminal law, Harvey has advised the NFL and other pro sports leagues on the development and implementation of workplace policies, including the league’s personal conduct policy.
Harvey has served as Goodell’s designee in other arbitrations, and he’s a member of the league’s Diversity Advisory Committee, created to improve racial and gender diversity across the NFL.
In 2017, Harvey was one of four members of an expert panel who reviewed the league’s domestic violence investigation into Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott, who was suspended six games for violating the conduct policy.
Goodell chose a designee to handle Watson’s case because he wanted an expert in the field who can focus solely on this matter, a person familiar with Harvey’s appointment told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because it’s an internal matter.
There is no timeline for when Harvey will hear the appeal. According to the league’s personal conduct policy, it must be done on an expedited basis.
■ STEELERS: Diontae Johnson’s hold-in paid off. Literally.
The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Pro Bowl wide receiver agreed to a three-year deal on Thursday that runs through the 2024 season. The deal will reportedly pay Johnson more than $39 million over the next three years.
Johnson was entering the final season of the rookie deal he signed after being taken in the third round of the 2019 draft. The 26-year-old caught a career-best 107 passes for 1,161 yards and 10 touchdowns last season for Pittsburgh.
Johnson skipped a portion of the team’s voluntary offseason program and while he arrived at training camp on time, he did not participate in any 11-on-11 or 7-on-7 drills in an effort to protect his health.
■ BRONCOS: The Denver Broncos have signed free agent receiver Darrius Shepherd, who played for the Green Bay Packers for two years and played this spring for the New Jersey Generals of the USFL.
Shepherd takes the roster spot that opened up when the Broncos’ leading receiver, Tim Patrick, was placed on the IR on Wednesday with a seasonending torn right ACL.
Shepherd is a 5-foot-11, 186-pound third-year pro out of North Dakota State who appeared in 14 regular season games with Green Bay from 2019-20, when Broncos firstyear coach Nathaniel Hackett was the Packers’ offensive coordinator.
Shepherd, who has half a dozen career receptions, played on the practice squads of the Cardinals, Vikings and Steelers last year.