Roger Goodell explains why NFL appealing Deshaun Watson's suspension 'was the right thing to do'

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Many thought that the Deshaun Watson saga would come to an end after former federal judge Sue L. Robinson's ruling on Aug. 1.

Robinson, an arbiter jointly appointed by the NFL and NFLPA to hear the Watson case, ruled that the Browns quarterback should be suspended six games for violating the league's personal conduct policy. This was considered a win for Watson and the Browns, as the NFL had been pushing for a year-long ban.

However, any celebration in Watson's camp was short-lived; the NFL opted to appeal Robinson's ruling shortly after it was announced.

MORE: What's next for Deshaun Watson, Browns after NFL appeals suspension

Commissioner Roger Goodell spoke publicly about the appeal for the first time on Tuesday. He explained that the league decided to take that action for two reasons.

"As you know, it’s part of the CBA. Two parties had that right," Goodell said of the appeal, per Mark Maske of the Washington Post. "And that was something that we felt was our right to do, as well as the NFLPA’s, and we decided it was the right thing to do."

Goodell confirmed that the league is still attempting to suspend Watson for a full season as part of the motion. He also explained that he believes Robinson's verdict could actually help the NFL to achieve that.

We’ve seen the evidence. [Robinson] was very clear about the evidence. She reinforced the evidence that there [were] multiple violations here and they were egregious and it was predatory behavior.

Robinson's 16-page ruling found that the NFL had proven that Watson's conduct "posed a genuine danger to the safety and well-being of another person."

MORE: Latest news, updates on NFL's appeal of the Deshaun Watson suspension

As such, it's no surprise that the NFL has continued to tout the facts of Robinson's case despite its appeal. The appeal is focused on targeting her six-game suspension ruling, which stems from her belief that the league is trying to "impose a more dramatic shift" in its personal conduct policy without proper notice.

Soon, both the NFL and NFLPA will learn the results of the league's appeal. Goodell has appointed former New Jersey Attorney General Peter C. Harvey as his designee to hear the case but there is not yet a timetable for him to announce his decision.

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Jacob Camenker is a senior content producer at The Sporting News.