Deshaun Watson will serve an 11-game suspension and pay a $5 million fine as part of a settlement reached by the NFL and NFL Players Association.
The Cleveland Browns finally received a final verdict on a suspension that has loomed large since they acquired Watson from the Houston Texans in March.
During Thursday’s press conference alongside owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam, general manager Andrew Berry said he’d still make the same trade now with the benefit of hindsight.
“We felt we made an informed decision,” Berry said, via Aditi Kinkhabwala of CBS Sports.
The Browns decided to acquire Watson from the Houston Texans amid numerous civil lawsuits accusing the quarterback of sexual assault and misconduct during massage therapy sessions.
Realizing a suspension was likely, they also decided to structure his $230 million contract so that he’d at most sacrifice his $402,500 base salary in 2022 if banned the entire season. That could factor into the additional fine Watson will now pay.
After they acquired Watson, Jenny Vrentas of The New York Times reported more details of allegations against him, some from women speaking out for the first time. One woman claimed he “begged” for oral sex during a massage while another said he initiated unwanted sexual contact during a session.
Berry said he’s “absolutely” comfortable having Watson on the team, adding that he “has strong, positive qualities.”
The Browns also released a statement on behalf of the Haslams supporting Watson and calling him “an outstanding member of our organization.”
As part of the agreement, the Browns (and the NFL) will also donate $1 million to a fund promoting the education and prevention of sexual assault and misconduct.
Watson is eligible to make his team debut in Week 13 against the Texans.