Deshaun Watson has made a lot of money out of the question of whether one’s talent outweighs one’s problems.
His ability to play quarterback in the NFL — or his expected ability to play quarterback in the NFL — allowed his professional career to survive lawsuits and allegations of sexual misconduct by nearly two dozen massage therapists in Houston.
Despite the unpleasant and troubling details and a looming NFL suspension, Cleveland dealt three first-round picks, a third-round pick and two fourth-round picks to the Texans in exchange for Watson. The Browns then signed Watson to a fully guaranteed, five-year, $230 million contract.
It was the ultimate sign that talent trumped all. Even in the NFL, where there is no shame, it was a stunning and decisive deal.
That second chance (or whatever it is) for Watson was based on his performance in Houston, particularly his 2020 season, where he completed 70.2 percent of his passes for 4,823 yards, 33 touchdowns (against just seven interceptions) and rushed for 444 yards and three more scores. The guy could play.
It is unclear whether he will be able to do so any longer.
To say this deal was a disaster for Cleveland is an understatement. And if there’s one thing the Browns know about, it’s disasters. A desperate franchise made a desperate move, willing to burn away any sense of morality in exchange for the promise of playoff success thanks to a true franchise quarterback.
Instead, Watson managed to play in just six games in each of his first two seasons in Cleveland, failing to reach the sustained level he displayed in Houston. His yards per attempt for the Texans was 8.3. In Cleveland, it’s just 6.2.
On Sunday, he played downright poorly in the season-opening loss to Dallas, completing 24 of 45 passes for 169 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. The Browns lost 33-17. Many Cleveland fans booed him in the first half and walked off in the third quarter.
Then on Monday, Watson was hit with a new lawsuit alleging sexual assault and battery stemming from an alleged incident that occurred in 2020 while he was still in Houston. The allegations are similar to the previous ones.
So… now that Watson isn’t performing well on the field, will the Browns finally care about what he’s supposedly doing off it?
ProFootballTalk published details of Watson’s contract on Monday that suggest Cleveland may take action. The relevant part:
“Player hereby represents and warrants (unless Club is otherwise notified in writing), as of the date hereof, that (1) Player has not been charged with, indicted for, convicted of, or entered a plea of no contest to any felony and/or misdemeanor involving fraud or moral turpitude, (ii) Player has not engaged in any conduct that would subject Player to a charge, indictment or conviction for such a crime, and (iii) there are no circumstances that would prevent Player’s continued availability to Club for the duration of this Agreement.”
In other words, did Watson communicate “in writing to the club” this alleged incident, which is now the subject of a lawsuit? If he did, then he is complying with the contract. If not, then perhaps not.
Watson is still owed more than $130 million and his cap hit for the next two seasons is reported to be $73 million. If he played like he did before, Cleveland wouldn’t care how many more cases were filed in the future.
But it isn’t.
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski cited poor pass protection as one of the reasons Watson struggled against the Cowboys. “He got hit too often,” Stefanski said. “We can’t let that happen to him.”
True, but that’s what happens in football when you give away six draft picks (including three first-rounders) that could have been used to build the offensive line. Plus, spending on free agents is limited because there’s so much money invested in Watson.
If a quarterback is going to accomplish that much… he has to be good enough to overcome other deficiencies.
So far, Watson hasn’t, and his acquisition and contract in Cleveland is one of the worst in NFL history.
Talent, and the promise of that talent, saved Watson for a long time. This is a new day, though, with a new accusation that Cleveland might actually care this time.