The Cleveland Browns have a major Deshaun Watson problem.
Serving as the Browns’ starting quarterback this season, Watson has been nothing short of the worst starting quarterback in the league. To make matters worse, Watson also has problems off the field.
Earlier in the season a lawsuit was made against Watson that alleged he engaged in sexual misconduct. If found guilty, Watson risked being suspended, which would have potentially given Cleveland a route to voiding the remaining money Watson is owed in his $230 million fully guaranteed contract.
Watson’s and the filer of the lawsuit settled on terms that closed the suit, but that isn’t stopping the NFL from looking into the matter.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell spoke about the situation at the end of the league’s official fall meeting.
“We’re continuing our review like we would,” Goodell said, according to the NFL’s official site.
“As you know, we take the personal conduct policy seriously so our people are working diligently.”
However, things may get tricky with the league’s dealing with the accuser. In the settlement, Watson’s accuser promised confidentiality, which means it’s highly unlikely she’ll cooperate with any league investigation into the matter.
It seems unlikely the league will be able to discipline Watson without the accuser’s help, but there may be a way.
According to Pro Football Talk, Judge Sue Robinson, the independent hearing officer who handled Watson’s last case, concluded that he had credibility issues with his testimony.
This could be enough for the league to force Watson’s hand to tell his story, and if it doesn’t hold up, there could be punishment.
It’ll be interesting to see if this results in the Browns being able to finally move on from what’s been a disastrous situation.
