The subject of another NFL investigation due to a woman’s sexual assault claim, Deshaun Watson, settled with his most recent reported victim. That was believed to close the door on another NFL suspension effectively. That is now official.
Watson is not set to be banned in connection with that alleged crime, with cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot reporting the NFL has closed its investigation without finding sufficient evidence the Browns quarterback violated the personal conduct policy. Although Watson’s Cleveland future is cloudy, he is not set to face a second suspension. He missed 11 games due to an NFL-NFLPA settlement in 2022, a ban that began a wildly disappointing Browns tenure.
The QB’s latest known reported victim settling her civil suit, one that alleged sexual assault in an October 2020 incident, was set to prevent her from cooperating with a league investigation. As such, it would have been difficult for the NFL to conclude that the quarterback had definitively violated the league’s personal conduct policy. This was the expected outcome, and Watson will remain tied to the NFL’s most player-friendly contract without any changes coming about.
A suspension in connection with this alleged incident represented perhaps the Browns’ last chance to see their dead money bill lightened. But the team faced an uphill battle thanks to the player-friendly contract it authorized.
Personal conduct policy bans regularly void guarantees, but the Browns included language in Watson’s deal to protect him. The former Texans Pro Bowler, having not disclosed this incident to the team prior to his latest restructure, would have left the door open to future guarantees being voided, but Watson denied all wrongdoing in this case. The QB’s account indicates that he was unaware of this reported victim’s claim, which would have left the Browns in an interesting spot due to how they designed his contract, even if he were suspended once again.
As it stands, Watson’s five-year, $230M deal runs through 2026. With the once-highly coveted QB not coming close to delivering on expectations, it is fair to label this the worst trade and contract in NFL history. The Browns are expected to shop for another starter in 2025. Still, Watson’s contract being so difficult to move — a status boosted by the two restructures GM Andrew Berry completed — effectively keeps him in limbo beyond this year. The Browns are not expected to cut Watson in 2025, as that would bring an astonishing $172M in dead money over the ’25 and ’26 offseasons combined.
Cleveland is not expected to fire Berry or HC Kevin Stefanski despite their lead roles in a disastrous 2022 trade. Watson, 29, is rehabbing an Achilles tear sustained in October. Jameis Winston has operated as the Browns’ starter since, offering the highs and lows that have become associated with the former No. 1 overall pick’s career. Winston is a free agent at season’s end. Watson may be in the background for the Browns for now, with neither Berry nor Stefanski guaranteeing he would start again for the team. But no suspension coming to pass will put Watson on track to be a major part of the Browns’ future once again — once he completes his rehab process.