Watson is a sunk cost. But the league could still decide to impose penalties on the club for whatever reason they dream up. Or not.
Be careful what bed you get into. Honestly, if Brian Flowers is the best coach, then he’s the best coach. The crap with Watson is one they’ve let linger. Looking for an easy way out isn’t the best thing.
Oh, I’m not advocating for any of this. I’m just assuming the Texans’ front office will pick the worst option of those available to them.
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I have the feeling Flores was the man they wanted…until he filed a lawsuit against any of his potential employers.
And I wouldn’t say the Texans let the Watson thing linger. They have a legal/contractual obligation to him. They cannot get out of it unless the league acts, like they have with pretty much any other player in that situation. The league won’t. So there is little the Texans can do at this point.
It just seems like whenever a Houston professional team works with their league office they get bit in the ass. I’d proceed with caution.
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Hard to get bit any harder than they’re being bit now. They paid Watson nearly $12MM to sit home this season, and they will have to pay him a whopping $35MM next season. They cannot avoid that unless the Miami Dolphins (the only team Watson has said he’ll go to) agrees to take on his mess, and they’ve flat out said “hell no”. Or the league suspends him. There is not much they can do except just move on with another QB, pay him, and avoid putting him on camera for public perception reasons, which is basically what they’ve done up to this point.
ETA: I suppose the one thing the Texans can still do is play Watson, like nothing is going on, and take the brutal PR hit, in hopes that it may spur Goodell to act to shut it down. That doesn’t seem like a winning strategy though, either.
It has been my observation that the Texans are comparatively unconcerned about brutal PR hits.
Perhaps saying “we don’t care that Deshaun Watson is a serial sexual assaulter” is a bridge too far, even for them.
ALLEGED serial sexual assaulter.
I feel for those that hitched up to that shit wagon.
This is the problem. If Watson were to be arrested and charged, I’m sure that would trigger some kind of out clause in his contract. But while he is an accused abuser who is pleading his innocence, there’s not much they can do other than the two terrible options above: pay him to sit or pay him to play.
The same thing is playing out in the Premier League, where Manchester Utd are in a similar position with their young striker Mason Greenwood. Someone leaked a series of photos of Greenwood’s girlfriend showing serious cuts and bruises allegedly inflicted by Greenwood, along with a sound recording of him forcing himself on her for sex when she wasn’t interested. The next day, police in Manchester reported that they’d arrested and charged a young man in connection with accusations of domestic abuse.
Arrest records in such cases are sealed, but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to put two and two together. Immediately following the police announcement, Man Utd announced that Greenwood was suspended, would take no active part with the club until further notice, and they removed all merchandise and content relating to Greenwood from their media. Basically, they’re paying him to not play.
Ian Rappaport says it’s a done deal: Lovie Smith hired
Pep Hamilton promoted from QB coach to OC
That’s a plus. He is highly regarded, and most think he’s the single best guy out there to mentor a young QB.
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We’re going to take seriously a guy named after Tom Hanks character in Dragnet?
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I’m no expert but this seems bad.
I’m shocked to find gambling is going on in here.
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Anybody who watched a Fox telecast last year can understand Ridley’s confusion.
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/waiter approaches Texans
“Your losses, sir”
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So Deshaun Watson will not face criminal charges. I’m guessing that makes his being traded a bit easier.