Alvin Kamara pleads no contest to lesser misdemeanor charge, jury trial is cancelled; civil suit also settled on confidential terms

Merl said

This was the latest update to the policy and it went into effect last year and it was the policy used in the Desean Watson situation last year. You really think the NFLPA would not say anything if the NFL just handed down a punishment that doesn't go through this process? Not a chance in hell.

The information the NFL has collected will be turned over the the retired judge that was jointly hired and she will make her decision likely sometime in the next month. After that either side can appeal her decision to the Commisioner who can then make a final ruling.

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Thanks for posting that - it's helpful to understand the nuts and bolts of the process. I agree, the league isn't going to deviate from it.

But based on how it is worded, it remains true that the league has enough information to conclude that Kamara violated the policy and will be disciplined, but the policy language leaves some room for Kamara to avoid the 6-game "baseline suspension" for felony battery. There is a bit of a conflict of language between being "charged" and having a "disposition" - with the word disposition appearing in the disciplinary section. Kamara was charged with felonies but the disposition was a misdemeanor.

I think if the league wants to come down on this, the disciplinary officer can justify the 6-game suspension under the policy. But there's plenty of room for it to be fewer based on the misdemeanor disposition, the victim is satisfied, and the fact that Kamara has no other history and a good record of community involvement.