Deshaun Watson vs. the NFL has taken a new turn. After it was announced that Watson would be suspended for six games, Roger Goodell and the NFL have appealed the decision.
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24 massage therapists came out to lay allegations on Watson that he had sexually assaulted them during sessions. The incidents occurred while Watson was still a Houston Texan.
A grand jury didn’t find enough evidence to lay a punishment on Watson themselves, but the nature of the allegations makes everything murky.
Watson has been criticized beyond measure, and the victims have gone very far in explaining just how poorly they were treated by the quarterback. The NFL launched their own investigation and came back with a six-game suspension. However, in the grand scheme of things, those six games don’t look like much when compared to other punishments the NFL has laid down.
NFL suspensions:
Calvin Ridley: 17 games, betting
Vontaze Burfict: 12 games, targeting
DeAndre Hopkins: 6 games, PED
Martavis Bryant: Indefinitely, Weed
Josh Gordon: 25+ games, Weed
Darren Waller: 16 games, substance abuseDeShaun Watson: 6 games, 25 SV accusations
— Tristen Kuhn (@KuhnTristen) August 1, 2022
However, it looks like the league is trying to make amends. The league is pushing for a longer suspension for Watson with a heftier hit to his wallet.
Deshaun Watson could lose a lot of money
Initially, there was a lot of outrage at the decision to only suspend Watson for six games. A contract loophole also meant that Watson wouldn’t be losing much money from the decision.
Watson wasn’t going to lose much money because of the way his contract is structured. He signed a five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed contract with the Browns, but he found a way to structure it cleverly in the case of an extension.
As it stands, the first $44-45 million or so of his contract comes in the form of a signing bonus. That means that Watson’s salary for 2022-23 is only $1.035 million. Therefore, sitting out six games will only cost Watson around $345,000.
However, if the league ups his suspension and also decides to fine him more, he may miss out on a lot more money. Fans are thrilled with this prospect and also blame Watson for not taking a safer bet earlier.
He could have accepted a settlement from the league for a 12 game suspension and a $10 million fine. Now, he may lose $45 million or more depending on how long he’s suspended.
Watson gambled and he lost.
He had a chance to accept a settlement deal from the NFL of 12-games and around a $10 million fine (his salary for 2021) – He declined and now with this appeal, he’ll likely serve a lot more than those 6 games.
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) August 3, 2022
