The verdict in the cases against Deshaun Watson has been made public.
Since the initial six-game suspension was announced on Monday (August 1), the whole NFL zeitgeist has spoken. Fans, pundits, and now tacticians, like as Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, have weighed in on the decision.
Harbaugh admitted on Twitter to Jamison Hensley that he had a lot of opinions but couldn’t share them with the public. Simply put, he deferred to the league’s decision and stated:
“I do have a lot of opinions on it. I’m not at liberty to share them at this time. That’s for the league to decide.”
NFL fans were not pleased with his non-response. Here’s what a Cleveland Browns fan said in response, naming controversial linebacker Ray Lewis:
“Wonder what his opinions on Ray Lewis are”
One NFL fan claimed the head coach was unhappy about being the first guinea pig to face the quarterback when the two teams play in October:
“@jamisonhensley @MaryKayCabot Dude just mad he’s gonna have to play him in his first game back. A very motivated Deshaun Watson.”
Another NFL fan dismissed the Ray Lewis controversy, but did raise an eyebrow at how the schedule lines up for the Cleveland Browns:
“@jamisonhensley It is a little curios that the Browns get Deshaun back right before they play the Ravens and Bengals. Right before their toughest stretch of the year. Ravens Bengals Bills Buccaneers Miami. Also all the Ray Lewis stuff was before Harbaugh”
Deshaun Watson’s turbulent year
Deshaun Watson was facing criminal charges at the start of the year. More than 20 women sued him for sexual misbehaviour while he was on a rookie contract with the Houston Texans.
First, he was excused from criminal court.
The bidding battle for the quarterback began shortly after that. The Houston Texans chose to trade him to the Cleveland Browns after receiving many offers.
Watson received $230 million in nearly fully guaranteed money from the Browns, with a condition that permitted him to lose only $1 million if he was suspended.
Over the next few months, he reduced the number of civil actions to one, eventually resolving them all out of court.
Meanwhile, the NFL worked through their decision on how many games to suspend the quarterback.
Deshaun Watson was suspended for six games around 18 months after the initial lawsuit. With an appeal still conceivable this week, the story is far from over.
