Deshaun Watson Will Be Suspended for 11 Games and Fined $5M
Well-Known sex offender and Browns QB Deshaun Watson was recently suspended for the first six games of the NFL season, the NFL has since appealed that decision for a harsher penalty and they have finally come to a conclusion on lengthening the suspension and adding a fine.
The NFL initially was hoping for a season-long suspension to really lay precedent in future incidents with NFL players. However, this seemed to have backfired with their mishandling of Ben Roethlisberger's allegations years ago when he was only suspended for four games. It is strange to me that the league could not implement its own will on Watson and suspended him for however long they wanted, but with checks and balances between them and the NFLPA and a lack of legal persecution they can only go on the accusations and how Watson has tarnished the league's image. $5M also seems like a small price to pay for the man who recently signed a $230M full-guaranteed contract this offseason, roughly 2% of his future earnings.
This ultimately means that the Cleveland Browns will be without their starting QB until Week13 with Watson starting his first game in storybook fashion against his former team, the Houston Texans. Until then the three-headed QB Dragon of Jacoby Brissett, Joshua Dobbs, and Josh Rosen will have to face a plethora of opponents: the Panthers, Jets, Steelers, Falcons, Chargers, Patriots, Ravens, Bengals, Dolphins, Bills, and Buccaneers. It is safe to say the Browns will not sniff the postseason this year, but there is always rainbows after rain. Provided the Browns go down the toilet in 2022 they will have very good draft compensation in return, a blue-chip player added to this loaded roster will really set them up for a huge run in 2023 provided Watson is not rusty by then. We are all glad that we can finally stop seeing Watson in headlines, but there will always be a mark on his legacy and the league's integrity following this investigation.
By Brandon McCann
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