There will be an important step in the ongoing NFL investigation into Deshaun Watson in the coming days. CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson reports (on Twitter) that league officials will meet with him in Texas this week. 
The news comes not long after the civil suits the quarterback is still facing were amended to include counts of negligence and gross negligence. While it remains to be seen what effect doing so will have on the overall outcome of Watson’s upcoming legal proceedings, it was seen as a victory for the plaintiffs with respect to discovery and a wider range of potential punishments.
The NFL investigation remains, of course, separate from the case, which has on two occasions resulted in no criminal charges being filed. The question of whether or not the 26-year-old violated the league’s Personal Conduct Policy remains unanswered, and this sit-down represents the next step in the investigation. A suspension is still a possibility at this point, though it is widely believed Watson will not land on the Commissioner’s Exempt List.
A league spokesperson said, “We will decline comment as the review is active and ongoing” (Twitter link via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport). While this is a significant step towards a final disciplinary decision being made, the league still has months between now and the beginning of the season to arrive at that decision. Any trial proceedings resulting from the civil cases, meanwhile, will not take place between August 1 of this year and March 1 of 2023, to avoid overlap with the NFL season.