Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson is facing another accusation of sexual misconduct. The NFL announced Monday that it is reviewing the civil lawsuit filed against Watson. This comes after he reached settlements in 2022 with more than two dozen women who had made similar claims of sexual assault and harassment. The new allegations of sexual assault and battery raise questions about Watson and the five-year, $230 million contract that he signed to play with the Browns in 2022 and whether the claims allow the Browns to void their agreement and get rid of the underperforming quarterback.

Ultimately, though, the Browns and the NFL decided to welcome Deshaun Watson with open arms and nothing that happens will change that.

The details of the allegations against Watson are gruesome: Watson allegedly lying naked on the woman’s bed without her consent; forcibly disrobing the woman after his demands for a massage were unmet; sexually assaulting the woman until she escaped and grabbed a heavy piece of decor for self-defense. These details are important as they not only explain the seriousness of the accusations against Watson, but the alleged assault was said to have occurred in October 2020 and its details are similar to the allegations that Watson faced in 2021 when he was a member of the Houston Texans and several teams with available cap space still wanted him on their roster.

The Deshaun Watson sweepstakes of 2022 is a forever black eye on the NFL. Even as allegations were coming out at a breakneck speed, NFL teams were falling over themselves to offer Watson as much money as they could. The New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers were also in the final running for Watson, creating a bidding war that the Browns won. They won by giving Watson what was at the time the largest guaranteed contract in NFL history – $80 million more than the second-highest guaranteed contract. 

The Browns sent a clear message: They are willing to overlook credible accusations of sexual assault as long as the accused player can be a transformational talent for that team. But it wasn’t just the Browns who sent the message. The entire NFL was complicit. That goes for everyone from owners who sought to sign him to players who have remained silent about playing with or against him, fans who wear his jersey in the stands and everyone in between. 

Watson’s existence as an NFL player is a reminder of the league’s moral standing. It just seems so often that abusing women doesn’t fall under the umbrella of what the NFL finds unsuitable.

The NFL knows how to dismiss a player when his off-the-field actions are deemed detrimental to the shield. Just ask former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who was summarily exiled from the NFL for refusing to stand for the national anthem. He was never re-signed and hasn’t played in the league since. Watson was never in danger of being ousted from the league after the accusations against him. His career is safe because he exists at the intersection of the league assuming that he was a better player in 2022 than Kaepernick was in 2016 and he was accused of committing crimes that the league has so often told us aren’t heinous enough to end a player’s career.

Now, Watson’s contract is an albatross for the Browns only because he hasn’t played up to the guaranteed money. He was suspended for 11 games in his first season. He was injured last season and only played six games, throwing for only seven touchdowns and four interceptions. And on Sunday in Week 1 of the 2024 season, he put up another stinker with a dismal 9.3 QBR and two interceptions en route to a 33-17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys that was more of a blowout than the final score indicated.

Watson no longer finds himself in the privileged position of being so good at football that his alleged egregious acts don’t matter. He’s now a financial liability for the Browns. And now that a new allegation has emerged, one that, if it’s proven that he knew about it and withheld it from the Browns when he signed, could make room to void parts of his contract and end his tenure with the team, he can find himself on the outs from the organization. He’d probably find himself on the outs with the league. But it wouldn’t be because of any moral stance or belief that what he was accused of was wrong. He just simply isn’t good enough to allow the league to pretend that his misgivings don’t matter.

Whether Watson’s contract is voided and he’s removed from the Browns this year or he goes on to have a fruitful career, eventually his time in the NFL will end. He’ll accumulate yards, wins, touchdowns and highlights. But long after he’s gone, the NFL will have the legacy of its decision. The league planted its feet firmly in the stance that a player can be accused of some of the most despicable acts imaginable and be welcomed as a representation of the shield as long as he has a high enough QBR.

It’s a position that should never be forgotten, no matter what happens to Watson’s career