With all of the discussion surrounding Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson‘s contract and his current legal issues, it has caused some in the media to take pause and wonder if the team could seek an out from the contract perhaps by voiding it.
All of that has been purely speculative, and on Friday, Mary Kay Cabot reported that there does not seem any basis for the speculation.
The #Browns are still all in on Deshaun Watson and not looking to void the record $230M contract or trade with the #Texans, league sources tell clevelanddotcom https://t.co/qDIor5bXfw
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) June 10, 2022
Cabot’s sources have shared similar information to what Watson’s lawyer Rusty Hardin has publicly said.
“The Browns and all of us that know Deshaun are still totally behind him. These latest claims by [plaintiffs’ attorney Tony] Buzbee change nothing, and they are totally false, and that will ultimately be what everyone concludes when they hear the evidence.”
The #Browns were never going to void Deshaun Watson's contract unless something super unforeseen arises.
The only way around this mess is to put their head down, and get through it.
— Nick Pedone (@NickPedone12) June 10, 2022
Contract Has Language To Protect The Browns
The Browns do have some cover with the contract language inserted in Watson’s deal.
Andrew Berry was asked about the parameters of the contract shortly after the deal was done in late March.
He did not disclose the details.
“Again, I won’t go into all of the specifics with the contract, but we do have our language within the contract that does offer I would say typical club protections.”
It is not surprising that the Browns built in some protection but at this point, the team has no intention of exercising the use of it.
What Will The NFL Do?
It seems clear the Browns are waiting to see what the NFL will do.
A suspension of some length seems likely, but it is unclear if the NFL, who was reportedly finished with its investigation before the two additional civil suits were filed and Jenny Vrentas’ piece in The New York Times was published, may reopen the case given the new developments.
Deshaun Watson received massages from at least 66 different women in a 17-month period. Some of these women, speaking publicly for the first time, described experiences that undercut his insistence he was only seeking professional massage therapy: https://t.co/QezN8ucAHU
— Jenny Vrentas (@JennyVrentas) June 7, 2022
It continues to be a waiting game with no immediate resolution on the horizon though many believe if Watson is suspended, the NFL will notify him and the Browns in early to mid-July before training camp is set to begin in late July.
That would be ample notice for the Browns to prepare Jacoby Brissett as QB1 during training camp and through the preseason.
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