NFL

Onetime New Jersey Attorney General Peter C. Harvey was selected by commissioner Roger Goodell to hear the NFL's appeal of the disciplinary decision ...

Watson has been accused of sexual assault and other inappropriate conduct during massage sessions in civil lawsuits filed by 25 women. While relying on precedent, Robinson sought to differentiate between violent and nonviolent sexual conduct. Harvey has served as Goodell's designee in other arbitrations.

Peter G. Harvey, the former attorney general of New Jersey, will hear the league's appeal of the six-game suspension given to Watson by a disciplinary ...

“What do the actions of the NFL say to little girls who have suffered at the hands of someone perceived to have power?” Solis said at Thursday’s news conference. Even so, Buzbee read a list of negative reactions that he said he had received from his clients to Watson’s six-game suspension. He said that 10 of his clients were made available to the league’s investigators. The NFL said in a statement that its appeal “addresses whether, based on the findings made by Judge Robinson, the discipline should be modified to include a professional evaluation and treatment as determined by medical experts, an appropriate fine, and a longer suspension. But, you know, even when you know you’re going to be slapped in the face, that slap still hurts and it still stings.” Robinson delivered her ruling Monday, calling Watson’s behavior “predatory” and “egregious” but citing disciplinary precedent for the six-game suspension.

Peter C. Harvey advised the league in 2017 on its decision to suspend Ezekiel Elliott for six games after an investigation of domestic violence accusations.

Not all of the women who filed lawsuits against Watson chose to interview with the league. But courts tend not to interfere with companies and unions that have jointly approved arbitration and appeals processes, as the league and the players’ association did. But if the disciplinary officer finds there is a violation of the personal conduct policy, Goodell or his designee still have final say over the extent of the discipline. He also is a board member of Futures Without Violence, a nonprofit organization that seeks policy solutions to end violence against women and children. “What do the actions of the N.F.L. say to little girls who have suffered at the hands of someone perceived to have power?” Solis said. The league is seeking the same penalty in its appeal, and it has also recommended a fine and treatment for Watson, according to a person with knowledge of the brief that the N.F.L. submitted Wednesday but who is not authorized to speak publicly about it. Tony Buzbee, the lawyer for Watson’s accusers, held a news conference Thursday afternoon in which he called the N.F.L.’s record on violence against women “sketchy and sad,” and he urged Goodell to issue a stronger penalty. Per its terms, the arbitrator issued an initial ruling, which either side could appeal to Commissioner Roger Goodell or a person of his choosing. The league has said the appeal will be heard on an “expedited” basis. Watson has denied the allegations against him. Before Robinson suspended Watson for six games, the N.F.L. asked for at least a full-year suspension. On Wednesday, the N.F.L. appealed Watson’s suspension, which was issued by a third-party disciplinary officer after a three-day hearing in June that probed accusations that he had engaged in sexually coercive and lewd behavior during massages.

The NFL announced that former New Jersey Attorney General Peter Harvey will hear the league's appeal of Deshaun Watson's six-game suspension.

Goodell had the power to personally handle the appeal or delegate it to someone else. He consulted on the disciplinary decision for Ezekiel Elliott in 2017, which was a six-game suspension for incidents of domestic violence. The league announced that former New Jersey Attorney General Peter Harvey is Goodell’s designee.

The start of the Hall of Fame game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday night was...

CANTON, Ohio (AP) — The start of the Hall of Fame game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday night was delayed due to severe weather in the area. Fans were told to seek shelter when storms moved through the area ahead of the start of the NFL preseason opener at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. The game, originally scheduled to start at approximately 8 p.m., began after a 40-minute delay. NFL's preseason Hall of Fame game delayed due to weather

Roger Goodell has handed off Deshaun Watson's discipline case to a lawyer with league connections and expertise in domestic violence and sexual assault.

The 26-year-old has continued to practice with the Browns, who are again in a wait-and-see mode after thinking they might only be without Watson for six games. Because of the way Cleveland structured his contract, Watson stood to forfeit only $345,000 under Robinson’s ruling. The former federal judge concluded that Watson violated the league’s policy by engaging in unwanted sexual contact with another person, endangering the safety and well-being of another person and undermining the league’s integrity. 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 he Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because it’s an internal matter. “The NFL’s appeal addresses whether, based on the findings made by Judge Robinson, the discipline should be modified to include a professional evaluation and treatment as determined by medical experts, an appropriate fine, and a longer suspension,” the league said in a statement. 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.

The former Pro Bowl receiver lobbied Pro Football's Hall of Fame to honor Kenny Washington, Woody Strode, Bill Willis and Marion Motley, the four Black ...

That said, when we went to the league and kind of looked for analysis and opinion, starting with Roger Goodell, he owned it. GLAUBER This just seems like an emotional conclusion to their story because the Hall of Fame is honoring them. So will these four players being honored at the Hall of Fame change the dynamic? JOHNSON At the time, baseball was the number one sport in America when Jackie Robinson was doing his deal. For decades, Major League Baseball has celebrated Jackie Robinson and confronted the ugly legacy of that league’s color barrier. You can’t call everybody a racist, but when you tolerate and you ignore and you turn your head the other way, you’re just as culpable. You point to George Preston Marshall, the segregationist owner of the Washington franchise, as having led the ban, but you note that the other owners went along with him. He did not even know that N.F.L. owners had struck a gentlemen’s agreement to not sign Black players that lasted from 1934 to 1946. You’re just as much at fault as the ones who initiated it. And when we get to college, it’s rinse and repeat all over again. Johnson, like both players, is a Los Angeles native, though he played college football at U.S.C. long after Washington and Strode were standouts on the same 1939 U.C.L.A. team as Jackie Robinson. Yet Johnson said he had no idea of their importance as two of the four Black players to break the N.F.L.’s color barrier.

The 2022 preseason opened up Thursday with the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Game. After a weather delay, the Las Vegas Raiders came out with a ...

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NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Thursday designated former New Jersey attorney general Peter C. Harvey to hear the league's appeal of Cleveland Browns ...

"He has also served as a federal prosecutor. Two grand juries in Texas declined to indict Watson on criminal complaints filed by 10 women. "Mr. Harvey served as the Attorney General of New Jersey and is now a partner at the Paterson Belknap firm in New York," the league said Thursday in a statement.

A lawyer representing two dozen women who have accused Deshaun Watson of sexual assault or harassment said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has a chance to ...

"If anyone has ever tried to abuse their status and overpower you, remind them that they picked the wrong one to try that with," she said. "Every victim of sexual assault is watching Roger Goodell and the NFL right now... Two grand juries in Texas declined to indict Watson on criminal complaints brought by 10 of the women. It's never too late to do the right thing," attorney Tony Buzbee, who represents the women who sued Watson over their allegations, said Thursday. "That's what these women and those watching are expecting." "We never expected much from the NFL's investigation. This was Robinson's first case since the new CBA was signed in 2020.

Josh Jacobs and rookie Zamir White ran well on a rain-soaked field and the Raiders routed Jacksonville 27-11 in the Hall of Fame game Thursday night.

Daniel Carlson connected on field goals of 32 and 55 yards to give the Raiders a 6-0 lead in the first quarter. Down 27-3, the Jaguars found the end zone when Kyle Sloter tossed a five-yard TD pass to Nathan Cottrell late in the fourth quarter. Jacksonville’s Willie Johnson returned a punt 88 yards for a score on the final play of the third quarter but it was nullified by a holding penalty. He’s tasked with trying to turn one of the league’s worst organizations into a winner. To have an opportunity to do that with him here, my family and people who helped me along the way, it was a special night for them. “It’s the first time I’ve been to this Hall of Fame game it in 22 years.

The former Pro Bowl receiver lobbied Pro Football's Hall of Fame to honor Kenny Washington, Woody Strode, Bill Willis and Marion Motley, the four Black ...

That said, when we went to the league and kind of looked for analysis and opinion, starting with Roger Goodell, he owned it. GLAUBER This just seems like an emotional conclusion to their story because the Hall of Fame is honoring them. So will these four players being honored at the Hall of Fame change the dynamic? JOHNSON At the time, baseball was the number one sport in America when Jackie Robinson was doing his deal. For decades, Major League Baseball has celebrated Jackie Robinson and confronted the ugly legacy of that league’s color barrier. You can’t call everybody a racist, but when you tolerate and you ignore and you turn your head the other way, you’re just as culpable. You point to George Preston Marshall, the segregationist owner of the Washington franchise, as having led the ban, but you note that the other owners went along with him. He did not even know that N.F.L. owners had struck a gentlemen’s agreement to not sign Black players that lasted from 1934 to 1946. You’re just as much at fault as the ones who initiated it. And when we get to college, it’s rinse and repeat all over again. Johnson, like both players, is a Los Angeles native, though he played college football at U.S.C. long after Washington and Strode were standouts on the same 1939 U.C.L.A. team as Jackie Robinson. Yet Johnson said he had no idea of their importance as two of the four Black players to break the N.F.L.’s color barrier.

Both Travon Walker and Zamir White impressed as they went head-to-head in the first NFL preseason game of 2022.

Also, be sure to like us on Facebook @BulldogMaven & follow us on Twitter at @BulldogsSI. Despite not trotting out their starting offense, Jaguars' head coach Doug Pederson sent out the first-team defense, where both Walker and Campbell featured. Second-year cornerback Tyson Campbell, No. 1 overall draft pick Travon Walker, and fifth-round running back Zamir White all saw action on the field Thursday night.

The drama surrounding Deshaun Watson's punishment is not over. On Monday, the Browns quarterback received a six-game suspension from Sue Robinson, ...

The final decision is now in the hands of the NFL. The players' union officially has two days to respond to the appeal. The appeal shows that the league wants to impose a higher sanction on Deshaun Watson. The drama surrounding Deshaun Watson's punishment is not over.

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Jarrett Stidham celebrates with tight end Jacob Hollister after scrambling for a touchdown during the first half against the ...

No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft Travon Walker was called for a roughing-the-passer penalty against Raiders backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham on the very first play from scrimmage. He added: "We made sure everybody played in this game. afterwards. "It's the first time I've been in this Hall of Fame Game in 22 years.

The Browns QB could have ended all his suspension drama if he would have accepted this offer from the NFL.

The fact that the NFL was willing to agree to a 12-game ban in a potential settlement -- instead of a one-year suspension -- isn't a coincidence. As for the appeal process, Watson's camp has until Friday to respond to the NFL's appeal. If the suspension is bumped up to 12 games, they might just go along with it and not file a lawsuit. Although the NFL wanted to see Watson suspended for a full year, the league was willing to trim that number down in a settlement. If there's no settlement and Watson's suspension ends up getting extended by the NFL, there's a very real chance that this case will end up in federal court. At this point, it feels like the best-case scenario for Watson is now a 12-game suspension.

Jacksonville Jaguars top pick Travon Walker wasted no time showing off his outstanding traits in his NFL debut against the Raiders.

That’s something the Jaguars have desperately needed and head coach Doug Pederson understands the value of winning in the trenches. Getting a consistent presence off the edge is tough in today’s NFL. Travon Walker didn’t exactly have the most fanfare of any top overall pick in the last decade or so. Jacksonville Jaguars top pick Travon Walker wasted no time showing off his outstanding traits in his NFL debut against the Raiders.

Welcome to the Friday edition of the Pick Six newsletter! After waiting 172 days, we finally got an NFL game on Thursday night and it was amazing.

The Steelerswide receiver was looking for an extension and he finally got it on Thursday when he agreed to terms on a deal that will add two years to his current contract. "It's a little bit abnormal for a quarterback, some of this stuff is things that MLB pitchers deal with, so it is something that we're kind of learning about on the fly and his feedback." At this point, it makes sense that the Rams aren't overly concerned -- because Stafford has plenty of time to heal -- but I would be at least somewhat concerned if I were them. If there's no settlement and Watson's suspension ends up getting extended by the NFL, there's a very real chance that this case could end up in federal court, but we won't cross that bridge until we get to it. "It is a tricky deal and you want to make sure that you're getting with the right people that are experts in this field," McVay said. The Browns play their first preseason gamenext week and you have to think that the league would like to have the appeals process finished by then. Watson's camp could use the response to point out why the NFL's appeal is flawed and they could also use it to argue that their client should only serve six games because that was a punishment that an independent disciplinary officer came up with. Also, and probably more importantly, this isn't the first time Harvey has been designated to handle a decision like this for the league. - What's next for Watson. The quarterback's legal team has until the end of today to file a response to the NFL's appeal. The fourth quarter of the Hall of Fame Game is usually unwatchable due to the fact that most NFL fans have never heard of any players on the field and it becomes even harder to watch when it's being played at midnight. This was a homecoming game for McDaniels -- he was raised in Canton, Ohio -- and there was no way he was going to lose. The Jaguars looked like the Jaguars. The Jaguars are the Jaguars because they regularly make embarrassing mistakes and we saw a few of those on Thursday night.

Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said the team will "move ahead with what we're doing" in preparing its quarterbacks as Deshaun Watson's six-game suspension is ...

... We're going to be using every opportunity we have out here, individual drill, post-practice, during practice, we've got to get all these guys ready to play." "Obviously, we want to know what's going on and be done with it. "We've got to get Deshaun ready to play, he hasn't played football in a year," Stefanski said. According to the league's personal conduct policy, it must be done on an expedited basis. "We'll just kind of await clarity on the situation," Stefanski said before Friday's practice. Harvey works now as a partner at the Patterson Belknap firm in New York. He has also served as a federal prosecutor and is a member of the NFL's diversity advisory committee.

Former NFL player and scout Bucky Brooks knows the ins and outs of this league, providing keen insight in his notebook. Today's installment explores this ...

Kirk can align in the slot to execute bubble screens, option routes and a variety of short crossing routes or run the complete route tree from an "X" (split end) or "Z" (flanker) position. NFL+ gives you the freedom to watch LIVE out-of-market preseason games, LIVE local and prime-time regular-season and postseason games on your phone or tablet, the best NFL programming on-demand and more! As part of my training camp tour for NFL Network, I had a chance to watch the Jaguars practice earlier this week, and Kirk stole the show. He is a versatile inside/outside wideout with outstanding route-running skills and sneaky RAC (run after catch) ability. And he provides Matthew Stafford with a reliable playmaker to target in the clutch. Although Brown and Smith will share the workload as WR1a and WR1b, the new guy in town possesses the size and strength to come down with 50-50 balls in the clutch. McLaurin has put up impressive numbers despite playing with a revolving door at the quarterback position. While plenty of teams would love a WR2 with Williams' gifts as a 50-50 ball specialist, it is hard to envision him supplanting his teammate as the No. 1 option in the passing game, given Allen's ridiculous route-running skills and pure "get open" ability. Consequently, I decided to examine the situations of all 11 receivers who just joined the $20 million club, assessing contracts, quarterbacks and coaching staffs. The Panthers' WR1 might not be a household name, but he's a precise route runner with outstanding timing and rhythm. As a passing league in the modern era, the NFL has consistently paid a premium for passers, pass rushers and pass protectors. Clearly, the WR marketplace has significantly changed in 2022.

The NFL Players Association has filed a brief replying to the league's appeal in Deshaun Watson's discipline case.

The NFL said Friday there’s no timeline for Harvey to issue a ruling. 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 AP on Thursday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because it’s an internal matter. Harvey was selected by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Thursday to hear the league’s appeal of the six-game suspension given to Watson for violating the personal conduct policy.

The NFLPA filed its reply brief to the NFL's appeal of Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson's six-game suspension Friday, the union announced.

On Wednesday, the NFL appealed the suspension handed to Watson, who was accused by at least two dozen women of sexual assault and sexual misconduct. Robinson’s proposed discipline came after more than a month of deliberation following a three-day hearing from June 28-30. Ahead of Robinson’s decision, the NFLPA said it would stand by her ruling and called on the NFL to do the same.

In the aftermath of the 2020 Collective Bargaining Agreement, thing were as good as they've been in years between the NFL and the NFL Players Association.

It would be foolish for the union to think the league was just going to voluntarily throw it away — especially in a case like this one. It’s exercising its power as a reminder that: (1) it has the power; and (2) if the union wants to change the situation, there’s a way to do it — by giving up something else in exchange for it. The 2020 CBA changed the disciplinary procedure, but it allowed the league to retain full authority over the appeal process.

Former New Jersey Attorney General Peter C. Harvey now has the necessary paperwork to issue a ruling. The players' union announced the reply brief shortly ...

The NFL said Friday there’s no timeline for Harvey to issue a ruling. 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 AP on Thursday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because it’s an internal matter. Harvey was selected by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Thursday to hear the league’s appeal of the six-game suspension given to Watson for violating the personal conduct policy.

Colin Cowherd gave five bold predictions for the upcoming NFL season — and Cowboys and Packers fans won't be happy.

There's room for improvement. Colin's thoughts: "There's also room for improvement. Colin's thoughts: "I think between Brady to Tampa and [Matthew] Stafford to the Rams, when you come to a team and all they need is a catalyst, there is a certain energy that you bring to a team in hopefulness. The reality is Bob Kraft and Belichick have always had a little bit of a turbulent relationship. La'el Collins [and] Connor Williams [left], and Tyron Smith is a Hall of Famer, but can't stay healthy. I think the Vikings win the NFC North. I think they beat the Packers in the opener, and they start pulling away by Thanksgiving."