Deshaun Watson, who has been under constant fire for quite some time now due to the s*xual harassment cases levied against him, was recently seen receiving a warm hug from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. The footage of Watson and Goodell together went viral on Twitter instantly, and has already garnered more than 2 million views.
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While a few Cleveland Browns fans didn’t mind the interaction between the Commissioner and their controversial QB, several others were left fuming by the incident which transpired before Browns’ Hall of Fame game against the New York Jets. This can majorly be attributed to the fact that fans have not yet forgotten Deshaun Watson’s alleged questionable actions when he was with the Houston Texans.
Fans Continue to Slam Deshaun Watson for His Past Actions
The 27-year-old quarterback met Roger Goodell before the Hall of Fame game that ended in Browns’ favor. The video footage captured Deshaun and the NFL commissioner hugging each other briefly, before Roger leaned onto the quarterback to have a few words.
The duo seemed to have struck a decent conversation between themselves and exchanged warm greetings. However, the actual content of their conversation, originally posted by Hayden Grove, could not be deciphered due to the constant murmur amongst the crowd.
A major section of NFL followers did not take the interaction in a positive sense, criticizing Roger Goodell for striking a conversation with the quarterback. Fans were just brutal with their comments. One user wrote, “Goodell asking where to find good massage therapist?”
Keep him away from those women.
— Pete (@Pete_Martuneac) August 3, 2023
That thug should be in prison.
— Daquan Trump (@LegendAlphaMale) August 3, 2023
https://twitter.com/AyooTexanNation/status/1687226024969338880?t=-nTECjIIUuHfQEhgf3AVPQ&s=19
Goodell real handsy with Deshaun. I bet he liked that.
— NEAUX GEAUX (@kylodog90) August 4, 2023
One user felt that Watson should never have been allowed back into the league, while labeling the current situation as sad. The user wrote, “Guess it’s easy for him(Goodell) to forget about all the possible s*xual assault when Watson makes him money. Just sad. Should’ve never been allowed back into the league.” Another one wrote that the “thug(Deshaun) should be in prison.”
Deshaun Watson Issued a Public Apology for His Actions
Although fans do not seem to have forgiven Deshaun Watson for his alleged involvement in the s*xual harassment cases, the quarterback has already served his official punishment. Last season, the NFL suspended Watson for a total of 11 games and levied a $5 million fine on him.
Watson too voiced a public repentance for his questionable actions from the past and has often talked about becoming a better person since then. Last year, he publicly apologized to all the women who were negatively affected due to his actions. “Look, I want to say that I’m truly sorry to all of the women that I have impacted in this situation.”
“The decisions that I made in my life that put me in this position I would definitely like to have back, but I want to continue to move forward and grow and learn and show that I am a true person of character and I am going to keep pushing forward,” Watson had said during an interview, per Los Angeles Times.
It will be interesting to see how Deshaun performs in the coming season. One thing is for sure, the public outrage against him is not going to die-down any time soon.
