Justice for Calvin Ridley?

NFL fans slam the league for its handling of Deshaun Watson’s suspension in comparison to Calvin Ridley’s.

The Deshaun Watson saga has been one of the biggest off-the-field storylines in the NFL.

The newly acquired Cleveland Browns quarterback has been accused of sexual misconduct by at least 24 women. Many were waiting to hear about the time Watson would be off the football field next season for these allegations.

However, the verdict is in, and the results shocked many fans and analysts.

Former U.S. district judge Sue L. Robinson granted Watson a six-game suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.

“Although I have found Mr. Watson to have violated the policy, I have done so using the NFL's post-hoc definitions of the prohibited conduct at issue," Robinson said in her 16-page report. "Defining prohibited conduct plays a critical role in the rule of law, enabling people to predict the consequences of their behavior. It is inherently unfair to identify conduct as prohibited only after the conduct has been committed, just as it is inherently unjust to change the penalties for such conduct after the fact.”

NFL insider Adam Schefter reported the news on Twitter Monday morning.

This issue has been a very polarizing subject to say the least. The high number of cases have led fans to either largely shun Watson or defend him. Many have taken aim at the NFL for the handling of this incident in comparison to less severe punishments. One of the most common names being mentioned is Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley, who was given a year-long suspension for the 2022-23 NFL season.

The reason? Betting on Falcons games in 2021. NFL fans and analysts went into a frenzy with the contrasts in punishment between Watson and Ridley.

“Let Calvin Ridley play this year,” said free agent quarterback Kurt Benkert.

“You can violate the integrity of a woman, but not the integrity of the game,” one fan said on Twitter.

Falcons running back Cordarrelle Patterson also showed support for his teammate amidst the Watson news. “Free my dawg,” Patterson tweeted with a picture of Ridley.

However, as of Aug. 3, the NFL has stated they will appeal Watson’s suspension.