Deshaun Watson has been removed from the intro video to the team’s online TV show (Twitter link via Rivers McCown of The Athletic). Though it may seem trivial, it’s another indication that the Texans are preparing for a future without the embattled quarterback.
[RELATED: Deshaun Watson Accusers To Be Identified]
At last check, 22 lawsuits have been filed against Watson this offseason. In addition to the civil cases, Watson will also face an investigation from the league office. Criminal charges could also be in play now that authorities have been contacted by some of the accusers. The allegations from massage therapists range from sexual misconduct to assault.
The Texans spent the early part of the year trying to convince Watson to stay, rather than demand a trade out of Houston. Now, things are far more complicated. The Panthers were said to be Watson’s most fervent suitor — last week, they acquired Sam Darnold from the Jets, taking them out of the running. From a football perspective, plenty of teams would want Watson, but the ongoing situation means that he’s probably untradeable.
As the lawsuits and investigations continue to play out, it seems increasingly likely that Watson will wind up on the Commissioner’s Exempt list, which would bar him from taking the field while still collecting his salary.
Watson, 26 in September, led the league with 4,823 passing yards in 2020 — a new career-high. He also set new personal bests with 33 passing touchdowns and a 70.2% completion rate.
KEEP THE TWINKIE IN THE WRAPPER BOYZ
good luck trying to get out of this Texans
From purely a football perspective, Houston has to be the worst team in the league next year by a wide margin. Jacksonville will be better with Lawrence, and the NYJ have a real coach. Worse for Houston, they have no 1st. They’re going to need luck and then some.
It’s an interesting case study. Two people (O’brien and Watson) have managed to set back a billion dollar franchise in a multi-billion dollar industry perhaps a decade. I can’t recall ever seeing a team in any sport go from being an up and coming perennial contender to a disgraced train wreck so fast. I feel bad for their fans. It’s going to be a tough few years ahead.
@ruckus727 while I understand your take, I would argue that inept ownership and leadership of the franchise set the Texans back at least 7-10 years. Not a single other NFL franchise would’ve kept O’Brien for more than 2-3 years, but the Texans saw his poor coaching style and raised by giving him authority over the roster! Until the McNair lineage sells the team I am completely done with the Texans. Tommy Boy needs to sell th team and go back to playing his video games.
Tyrod isn’t trash. He can play, IF healthy. They’d probably win a handful of games. But their division could be weak if Wentz and Tannehill arent good this year. So they may get more wins than youd think. And the Jags who knows.
innocent until proven guilty unless you play pro sports
You’re also guilty if you’re in College in HS. Ask Brian Banks.
if there are 22 lawsuits for inappropriate sexual conduct against someone you want to date, would you still get into that relationship before finding out all the details?
No
Depends on how hot she was and if it was a purely sexual relationship.
Has Watson been convicted without a trial and imprisoned?
If so, definite Constitutional issues there.
There is no Constitutional issue. First, the NFL and the Texans are private entities, so it’s really difficult for them to “violate rights.” Second, Watson – just like every other player – is subject to the terms of both his own performance contract and the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
The CBA, negotiated on Watson’s behalf by the NFLPA, gives the commissioner power to suspend a player without a conviction (which is the wrong language anyway, since Watson is facing civil suits.)
This is only a legal standard. We, as fans of pro sports, are not subjected to this and are allowed to form our opinions based on whatever we want. The NFL is also not subjected to this and can suspend anyone for any reason they see fit pending a union appeal. The Texans can also suspend/release for any reason provided they are willing to take the cap hit.
Innocent until proven guilty is meaningless here, and there have been plenty of players who have been suspended for a variety of legal issues despite never being found guilty in a court of law.
Untrue, in most professions if you were accused of 22 sexual misconducts you would be placed on leave or fired. The one exception is a politician.
No you would be elected president then.
Innocent until 20+ women all sue you for the same thing.
How many didn’t want to contact a lawyer and relive their experiences?
This keeps looking worse for him too.
Maybe the patriots…?! The Know Bob Kraft likes masseuses as much as Watson does. ( kinda kidding. but until proven guilty he’s innocent)
‘On to the next question…’!
I can’t remember all the details but I’m relatively positive Kraft didn’t violate another humans rights, he made a business transaction…whether or not you think less of him for that doesn’t matter, what Watson allegedly has done is not even in the same stratosphere as Kraft
Law or No Law – regardless a $156mm for a sports entertainer who has these legal issues looming has look terrible right now. Glad is not my money on the hook
Tiger Woods walked from his sex scandal. Those endorsements will come back and Watson will be on a new team next season. We’ll get the standard ‘I’m sorry’ or ‘I found god’ line with the team owner, HC, & GM right there.
What team is going to want him? Going to have to be a team that doesn’t have a fan base or a media presence.
A 25-26 year stud QB will always be in demand. The new team will issue a statement how they don’t condone the actions and will work w/ Watson to help him out. Then Watson will start a fund or contribute to one, with all media eyes on him, and give a sorrowful speech. Always done that way.
The new team will not trade valuable assets to acquire him either nor will he see big money for awhile. Even Vick had to take lowball offers from the Eagles and what he did as bad it was is not this bad. Imagine what happens if the Houston Prosecutor decides to press criminal charges. Any conviction would eliminate Watson from playing the game again. A big market team will face severe fan and corporate blowback from this.
1 year later, Vick signed a $100m deal. And that was after federal time.
6 months time after being released from his contract and after he played on a minimum. Good luck coming back from this if he gets jail time. Not going to be 6 months either. He’s also not going to be traded until he’s cleared or until he settles before the Houston DA can try him. He has to settle quickly.
You said it. He’ll settle quickly. Already read articles he’s moving that way. Watson will play in the NFL for mad bucks. This season will be a ‘hardship’ if you will, but he’ll be at $35+m in 2022. Easy bet.
Nobody will trade much for him until he gets out of his contract. It’s certainly not going to be a major market city. Indy or Jacksonville would be perfect markets for him not that Houston would trade him there. Houston isn’t going to get a lot.
MJ went through gambling in Chicago. Did he get hurt? How about Alex Rodriguez openly admitting to shooting ‘roids/ Did that hurt him in NY? At that time, he had the largest contract for a player ever. TB12 left his ex at the hospital to move in with his current wife. Plenty more of those stories in all pro leagues.
Houston will suck this year. Next offseason they’ll unload Watson for 2-3 picks/players and all will be forgotten. I wish more people had principals like yourself, but talent & BIG money will always win out.
Neither of them tried to get traded, MJ was well liked in Chicago, ARod was a pariah in NY and AROd could have never been traded. What Deshaun is accused of doing is significantly worse then those 2 and he would need to willingly take a significant pay cut and waive his no trade clause. Houston would have got 3 firsts and a couple of players before this. Now it might be a 3rd and a 4th plus add some high picks. There are teams that will not touch him, too. No matter what happens.
I’ll gladly take that bet! You really think Watson is done? Must agree to 50% reduction in salary; give or take? There are so many stories of rich getting out of trouble and continuing to be rich and now Watson will take that axe?Not happening.
I tend to agree with your line of thought. Celebrity scandals are so common place now that they rarely interest the public for long.
Fighting dogs not in the same league as a chronic sex abuser. I know wait for verdict. But damn. How many mf massages do you need on your groin? By as many as 40+ different female masseuses? Come on be rational. Homeboy is a great quarterback but his behavior is shady at best and outright serial offender at worst. I know the naysayers gonna argue benefit of doubt but please would you feel okay if it was your wife, sister or daughter being contacted by this fool. Would you be okay if he called your relative?
Fighting dogs not in the same league as a chronic sex abuser. I know wait for verdict. But damn. How many mf massages do you need on your groin? By as many as 40+ different female masseuses? Come on be rational. Homeboy is a great quarterback but his behavior is shady at best and outright serial offender at worst. I know the naysayers gonna argue benefit of doubt but please would you feel okay if it was your wife, sister or daughter being contacted by this fool. Would you be okay if he called your relative?
Should have traded him to the Bears.
Maybe Pace did his research when he was looking for QBs back then and heard about questionable behavior at Clemson. Doubt that he just started acting out now. Lot easier to cover this crap up at college when you are held above everyone else and nobody is going to question what the golden boy is doing outside of football.
If Pace could get away with it, he’d trade for him right now.
How is it possible that the salary will continue to be paid?
Because he hasn’t been found guilty in a criminal or liable in a civil court for anything yet. People like to use “it’s a private entity” as an excuse for ignoring civil liberties, but it is illegal to deny someone compensation on a contract without a conviction or violation of the contract.
The Texans could do their own investigation and say that they found some behavior that violated their contract, but unless they do that before the case exposes some sort of contract-breaking behavior, they are bound by the deal. Besides, if Watson comes out on top, the Texans will want him back. Denying his money will put an axe in that plan. It’s better for them to just wait and see what happens.
The Texans and Watson are stuck. I’m not sure how his contract is worded but he’s going to be suspended without pay for 1-2 years. In this world this kind of thing isn’t a good thing and these are just the women we heard about 22 is a lot I’m sure there are more. Watson comes back and he has no trade value still has 3 years on his deal. At that point there’s a trade for pennies on the dollar where’s it not even worth it to trade him.
Remember Watson doesn’t have to be guilty to be suspended.
Zeke was suspended even when the female investigator said there was no evidence he did anything and wouldn’t suspend him.
This is goodells decision.
Good callout on Zeke.
Why is so hard to wait and see what happens? What do we lose by waiting and seeing what the facts could be? The answer is nothing. Our impatience and need to rally around causes allows us to manipulated to whatever mob wants us on their side.
To those saying that this is a money grab, or those saying Watson is a predator…just wait. You lose nothing, except your impatience, by waiting. The only thing that will happen is that you will know more by the time the case is done instead of making a bet that you were right and allowing media coverage to work you into a frenzy that benefits no one (except the media who makes money off of frenzied clicks-not lumping PFR into that group, but people like Florio would qualify). Just wait, read if you like, and be patient. There’s nothing you as a fan can do for this specific trial, so there’s no urgency to rush to a conclusion right now.
He should have followed
Frank Sinatra’s long time
advice: “always take care
of the ladies.”
So he has 22 kids on the way
This could get dragged out for a year. Just saying, that’s typical for these athletes cases. Well into the season then they push it to the offseason.
Face it Watson is a freak. He booked professional massages and tried to get extras. Professional massage therapist don’t do that. And 22 of them at that: all consensual 22 therapist