Should Deshaun Watson Be Allowed To Play in the NFL?
CLEVELAND - One of the most controversial players in recent NFL history, Deshaun Watson, will now play for the Cleveland Browns after being traded from the Houston Texans. With 22 various complaints of sexual misconduct from women, should he be allowed to play?
That’s the question, and it’s a definitive line in the sand from people on both sides of the argument. Before delving into that part of the discussion, a closer look at the Browns is needed.
One of the worst NFL franchises had enough. The Browns want to win. The Browns want to win now. After not even reaching the NFL Playoffs since 2022, Cleveland played and defeated their rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers, 48-37 in January of 2021. That's been the only so-called "success" the Browns have had beyond the regular season for decades, however.
Adding Deshaun Watson certainly adds to the chances of playoff berths and even a possible Super Bowl ring. The following statistics define just how talented Watson is.
In 2020, Watson led the NFL in passing yards with 4,823. The three-time pro bowl selection (2018-2020) also threw 33 touchdown passes against only seven interceptions. Taking a closer look at Watson’s short NFL career, it’s easy to see why the Brown’s liked his on-field production (2017-2020). Note: Watson did not play in 2021 because of the allegations against him.
Career passing yards: 14,539
Career touchdowns: 104
Career Completions: 1,186
Career Completion Percentage: 67.8
To say that Watson is a stalwart on the field is an understatement. He’s flat out one of the world’s best football players. That only adds to why so many people are interested in his trade from the Texans to the Browns.
In case you missed it (where have you been if you did?), Watson's off-field transgressions, while alleged, are extreme. 22 separate cases where women filed various sexual complaints against him. There have been a plethora of articles written discussing the specifics of that, none more blunt and opinionated than Sports Illustrated writer Michael Rosenberg’s article defining how low he feels teams would go to sign an elite signal caller.
While many hold Rosenberg’s side of the argument that Watson should not be playing, that’s certainly not the 100% opinion of everyone. That’s why multiple people were given the opportunity to speak their mind about the situation that yours truly actually trusts. Coaches, players, and life-long football fans were privately given the chance to give their thoughts about Watson. Here’s what they had to say.
For Watson Playing
“Innocent until proven guilty!” ~ This statement, while worded slightly differently a few times, was by far the most common answer provided by those that support Watson’s situation.
“He was not indicted.”
“What has Watson been found guilty of?”
“Everyone deserves a second chance.”
“Give me a break, man! He hasn’t been convicted of anything!”
Neutral
“As a life-long Browns fan…what do you do? Do you just look at it from a football situation and just root for your team? He’s (Watson) a scumbag but so was Roethlisberger. I don’t know man.”
Against Watson Playing
"Would you feel safe leaving a female loved one, like a daughter or wife, alone in a room with Watson?"
“Getting an indictment is really hard. Let’s see how the civil suits turn out over the next several years. No way you’re telling me that 22 separate women are all lying!”
“He’ll just pay off those cases that he might lose (in civil cases). The NFL will try to bury it from the news because it’s a black eye and they just care about the money.”
“If he (Watson) was just a regular player, he’d be thrown out of the league (NFL). It’s just like with (Ben) Roethlisberger. Because he’s a quarterback, teams are willing to overlook his (Watson’s) character.”
“It’s just about the money, isn’t it?”
Additional Comments and One Key Question
From the above section, some comments were left out because of the vulgar language and inflamed commentary directly attributed to how they felt (both sides mind you) towards people that did not think the way they did. Yes, opportunities to discuss Watson often went askew towards people they knew that did or did not support Watson and directly attacked the character of other fans. That happened a lot, actually.
In short, the discussion of Watson was and continues to be a powder keg.
No matter what side of the argument one is on, it’s pretty hard to disagree that Watson's situation is only going to fester come this upcoming season when he takes the field. With that in mind, a few points and one parting question that could be one the NFL and Watson cannot avoid.
It’s a matter of time before one (or more) women’s groups show up to a NFL stadium where Watson is playing. Signs, posters, chants, t-shirts, etc. With social media, there’s no true way for anyone to hide or derail that situation from being seen nationally and even globally. Now for the question.
How does the NFL keep an inevitable women’s rights protest, at an NFL stadium where Watson is about to play, peaceful and also not alienate fans on either side of this discussion?
