Deshaun Watson has severely altered the way comparable quarterbacks look at their future contracts in the NFL.
Despite dealing with some serious legal trouble, Watson signed a five-year, $230 million fully-guaranteed contract with the Cleveland Browns prior to the 2022 season.
Lamar Jackson just played the final season of his rookie contract with the Ravens, and the former league MVP has reportedly demanded a deal in line with the guaranteed money received by Watson.
As such, Watson’s name has been trending on social media.
“I’m blaming the Cleveland Browns for giving Deshaun Watson that stupid contract,” one fan wrote.
“Leave it to Cleveland to absolutely ruin the QB market,” another said.
“Browns desperate ass really screwed the qb market for years to come to get their beloved predator at qb,” another added.
If Jackson and the Ravens can’t come to a longterm contract agreement this offseason, the team could hit their quarterback with a non-exclusive franchise tag.
Watson is heading into the first full season under his massive, fully-guaranteed contract in 2023.