The highest-paid quarterback in NFL history may not be allowed to even snap a single down in 2022.
That’s because a source close to the decision-makers at the National Football League headquarters in New York claims they will “probably” seek a yearlong suspension for embattled QB Deshaun Watson, The Washington Post reports. ProFootballTalk stated that the NFLPA is prepared to mount a formidable defense should the suspension be deemed harsh.
Watson is facing a blizzard of sexual impropriety claims by a score of female massage therapists in the Houston area. He was the signal-caller for the Houston Texans before getting that exorbitant contract — $230 million for five years, all guaranteed — from the Cleveland Browns in the 2022 offseason.
Currently, Watson is being sued by 24 masseuses in a class-action suit that includes the Houston Texans as defendants. Two of the women shared sordid details of their alleged interactions with Watson on the acclaimed HBO show “Real Sports.”
The conundrum that Watson and the NFL are currently facing is that, despite the New York Times report that Watson met with at least 66 masseuses, two different Texas grand juries declined to indict Watson for any alleged wrongdoing.
The Browns are in another volatile quandary. They allegedly isolated and mistreated last year’s starting quarterback, Baker Mayfield, to the point where he has made public pronouncements that he does not want to play for the team anymore. If Watson is suspended, and most pundits believe he will be, they may not have a proven quarterback to start the season in September 2022.
