Deshaun Watson is owed a guaranteed $92 million from the Cleveland Browns over the next two NFL seasons. However, a TikTok video from the day after Christmas could potentially cost him his entire remaining salary.
Where was his walking boot?!
Watson, 29, tore his Achilles tendon at the end of October. He recently re-tore the same Achilles tendon just three months into his recovery. It was another full rupture— caused by a rolled ankle.
The Cleveland Browns will likely recoup a large chunk of his massive salary regardless of how things play out in the coming days, weeks and months because of an insurance policy. However, the team may be able to void its quarterback’s entire contract because of a video posted to social media on Dec. 26.
Watson pulled over on the side of the road to dance with his girlfriend, Jilly Anais, while on vacation. If you look closely at his feet, you will notice a lack of walking boot. He was wearing normal sneakers.
This could be Cleveland’s way out.
Re-tear rate is very low for a ruptured Achilles tendon when treated properly in recovery. Patients are typically relegated to a walking boot for at least three months. It is very hard to roll an ankle or tweak a preexisting injury if it is secured by a brace.
Deshaun Watson posted the TikTok video without a walking boot just 62 days after his Achilles first popped. That is well inside the three-month mark.
The Browns said that their quarterback re-tore his Achilles because he rolled his ankle in Miami. Given the difficulty of rolling an ankle while wearing a walking boot, it is possible that he did not have one on. He was not wearing one in the video from Dec. 26 so there is already probable cause.
If the team and its medical staff required Deshaun Watson to wear a walking boot during recovery and he did not wear one anyway, that could be a reason to void the remaining $92 million on his deal. It would require an investigation and definitive proof, but the Cleveland Browns could be willing to pursue that avenue because of how much money is at stake. Stay tuned.