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On Monday, DeShaun Watson found himself at the center of yet another lawsuit involving some disturbing allegations, and it appears the filing could have major implications concerning his massive contract with the Browns.
In 2022, the Cleveland Browns joined the lengthy list of NFL franchises that have voluntarily opted to subject themselves to a firestorm of controversy by prioritizing talent over morals when they traded for DeShaun Watson, who the Texans had sidelined for the entirety of the previous campaign after 22 women accused the quarterback of sexual assault and harassment in the slew of lawsuits that were filed against him.
The Browns subsequently signed Watson to the largest guaranteed deal in NFL history after offering him a five-year contract worth $230 million exactly four months before the league announced it was suspending him for 11 games and fining him $5 million over the aforementioned allegations.
The quarterback didn’t even come close to living up to the expectations that come with that kind of deal when he returned for the final six games of the 2022 season, and while he posted a 5-1 record as a starter in 2023, his second year in Cleveland was hampered by a shoulder issue and the subsequent fracture that brought his season to an end.
The Browns were obviously hoping Watson would return to form when they kicked off their season against the Cowboys on Sunday, but that was decidedly not the case in a game where he completed just 24 of his 45 passing attempts, threw for a paltry 169 yards, and was picked off twice while tossing a lone touchdown.
That game transpired a day before Watson ended up at the center of yet another lawsuit filed by a woman who claims she was sexually assaulted by the QB when he was playing for the Texans in 2020 to bring the number of people who’ve accused him of similar behavior to 23.
At this point, it’s hard to give the Browns the benefit of the doubt when you consider they knew exactly what they were signing up for when they decided to trade for Watson, but as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports, they could potentially use that new case as an excuse to cut ties with him.
PFT obtained a copy of Watson’s contract that includes what is commonly referred to as a “morality clause” that reads:
“Player hereby represents and warrants (except as otherwise disclosed to club in writing), as of the date hereof, that (1) Player has not been charged with, indicted for, convicted of or pled nolo contendre to any felony and/or misdemeanor involving fraud or moral turpitude, (ii) Player has not engaged in conduct which could subject him to a charge, indictment or conviction of any such offense, and (iii) no circumstances exist that would prevent Player’s continuing availability to the Club for duration of this Contract.”
As Florio notes, the ability to harness that clause to potentially void Watson’s contract hinges on whether or not the Browns were aware of any potential incidents he failed to disclose to the franchise before signing the deal (based on the language, it also wouldn’t need the NFL to suspend him—again—to nullify the deal).
There’s little doubt the Browns—who are slated to pay Watson a collective $92 million in 2025 and 2026—would find themselves facing a fierce, lenghty, and expensive legal battle if they attempt to void his contract.
They’ll also be stuck with him if they were aware of the alleged incident at the center of the lawsuit—and if that ends up being the case, a franchise that’s already taken plenty of heat for signing him deserves all the new criticism it’s going to find itself dealing with.