NOT from his salary. BEFORE taxes he has made 1.035/year. Do the math. Unlike top NFL players I can't imagine who will pay Watson for product endorsements. The Woke generation would go after those companies big time.
Watson will suit up, but it won't save the BrownsZach Baker/zachbaker@thecourier.com
Aug 19, 2022 12:00 AM
If Deshaun Watson did what he’s accused of doing, he should have gotten a year suspension, maybe more.
Instead, Watson will suit up for the Cleveland Browns this season. The National Football League and its players association agreed on an 11-game ban and a $5 million fine.
Watson – who was traded by the Houston Texans to Cleveland after about two dozen sexual misconduct lawsuits were filed against him – already has made more that $51 million in his career.
On top of that, the Browns will pay him $46 million in each of the next four seasons.So, it’s likely the fine Watson faces won’t hit him hard.
In reality, Watson’s punishment is about the games. The Browns made the trade for Watson because they determined three things:
1. They couldn’t win a Super Bowl without an elite quarterback.
2. They didn’t have an elite quarterback.
3. Watson is an elite quarterback.
There’s little doubt that when he plays, Watson is one of the best signal-callers in the game.
The problem? He hasn’t played.
Watson demanded a trade from the Texans before the 2021 season. Then, the allegations against him came to light.
Watson sat out all of last season. It was something of a mutual decision. He was paid, but he didn’t take a snap for Houston.
Now, he won’t take a snap in a meaningful game until December 4, when Cleveland plays the Texans -- in Houston.
What an odd coincidence.
It’s been said for a few years that the Browns are in “win-now” mode. That makes me feel bad for all the people who bought season tickets the previous two decades, when the Browns were ostensibly in a “win later" mindset.
But regardless, the Browns have a roster full of players who are in their primes. Nick Chubb, Myles Garrett, Denzel Ward, Joel Bitonio and Amari Cooper are all on the team.
Given the realities of the NFL, they all won’t be for long.
This is the time for the Browns to shine.
But it’s tough to do that without your starting quarterback for three months.
It’s tempting to look at the Browns schedule and say “if they go 5-6 or better in the first 11, they may be OK.”
But that’s too simplistic. Watson will not have played in almost two years. And when he does return, he’s likely to face a wrath from opposing fans that hasn’t been seen in some time.
There’s no question Watson is a great player. But it’s unrealistic to think he won’t be affected by the long layoff, and by the negative reaction he faces every time he takes the field.
It’s hard to imagine the Browns – despite their talent – being any kind of a factor this season, before or after Watson arrives.
So, this season is likely to end like all the others.
But it’s hard to be sympathetic to the franchise.
It knew what it was getting into when they got Watson.
And now, for most of this season, they will have to try to win without him.
Zach Baker is the sports editor for The Courier and the Review Times.