The Houston Texans are entering the 2025 season with C.J. Stroud cemented as their quarterback of the future. But for a point in time, it seemed like Deshaun Watson was the answer under center for them. A failed contract negotiation, a trade request, and a slew of sexual assault accusations resulted in the end of his time with the team, though, as he eventually got traded to the Cleveland Browns.
Considering the ensuing off-field drama surrounding Watson, it’s safe to say that the Texans made out like bandits by moving on from him. And even though the former Pro Bowler was punished for the allegations he faced off the field, it was still a situation that weighed heavily on former NFLPA President DeMaurice Smith.
DeMaurice Smith Opens Up on Deshaun Watson Allegations
In 2021, Watson had a handful of sexual assault allegations levied against him, leading to the NFL investigating his actions. After he was dealt to the Browns, Watson ended up getting suspended for 11 games in the 2022 season, while also facing a $5 million fine. As a result of the whole ordeal, Smith found himself in a weird spot.
As the NFLPA President, Smith’s job was to defend Watson, no matter the circumstances. As a result, Smith took a lot of heat for simply doing what was required of him. That does not mean he agreed with anything Watson did, though, as Smith recently revealed in his new book “Turf Wars: The Fight for the Soul of America’s Game,” that while he was repulsed by the accusations against Watson, he had to defend him.
“Two decades after I stopped being a prosecutor, I hadn’t lost my contempt for anyone who uses their power and status to intimidate and inflict pain on others,” Smith wrote in his books. “I didn’t know Watson at all, but appalled as I was by the things I was reading, the NFLPA had an obligation to defend members.”
“I wasn’t a prosecutor anymore. I was closer to being a public defender, with no control over the people or cases that crossed my desk, just a responsibility to make certain I worked as hard as I could on their behalf, regardless of how offensive and disgusting the allegations. As loathsome as I found the allegations surrounding Watson, I knew the public’s desire for frontier justice gave Roger no legal right to issue discipline.”
Deshaun Watson Fighting to Save NFL Career with Browns
Getty ImagesCleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson.
In exchange for Watson, the Texans received the Browns’ 2022, 2023, and 2024 first-round picks, a 2023 third-round pick, and fourth-round picks in 2022 and 2024. Not only has Watson gotten in a ton of trouble off the field while in Cleveland, but he’s also struggled to stay healthy and played poorly in the limited time he’s been on the field.
While Houston is thriving with Stroud as their new franchise quarterback, Cleveland is preparing for a rebuild as they look to shed themselves of Watson in the near future. Simply put, the whole situation is a mess, and Smith understands that while his handling of things from the NFLPA’s perspective may not be popular, he was only attempting to do his job to the best of his abilities.
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