It seems like with each and every day, Deshaun Watson’s career is taking another devastating hit.
On Tuesday, the first victim to file suit against Watson came forward publicly, revealing her identity for the first time. On Wednesday, Nike suspended his endorsement and Beats by Dre terminated their relationship with the Texans quarterback completely.
With so much new information coming out each week, it is looking more and more likely that Watson will be out of football for an extended period of time. Whether it is by league suspension or the Commissioner’s Exempt List, and Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio thinks that is exactly where this should be headed.
‘Although he still has all privileges, presumptions, and protections in court, the league created paid leave as a way to handle players who are both presumed innocent and embroiled in a situation that, by its mere existence, reflects poorly on the NFL. These allegations, by their mere existence, reflect poorly on the NFL.”
Mike Florio
The Commissioner’s Exempt list is is a form of paid leave that can be used to get controversial players off the field at a time when games are being played and until the situation they are involved in is settled.
“Fewer than seven years after the NFL first adopted paid leave as a device for handling players who face allegations that have not yet resulted in a criminal conviction, a civil verdict, or some other disposition, the league faces a situation that cannot be ignored until football activities commence later in the year. The 22 civil cases and at least two criminal complaints against Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, coupled with the possibility of more allegations and a potential federal sex trafficking investigation, require the NFL to do something other than issue a perfunctory statement that says, basically, ‘We take it very seriously but we’re going to wait and see what happens.’”
Mike Florio
The Texans signed Tyrod Taylor to a one year contract worth up to $12.5 million a few weeks back. Watson at the time was in high demand, but no one then could have expected the legal issues and accusations that were to come.
