The league can more strictly penalize players for sexual assault involving coercion or threats, and its discipline can take into account patterns of conduct, after a judge who oversaw Watson’s hearing cited the policy’s limits.
When Deshaun Watson’s suspension ended, the N.F.L.’s broadcast partners focused mainly on his return to the field, not on the behavior a hearing officer had deemed “predatory,” or on the women who accused him.
The league has looked for contrition in determining its discipline of players accused of conduct violations. Deshaun Watson’s insistence that he did nothing wrong undermined its attempt at rehabbing his image.