"There was nothing resembling a suspension" - Former NFL executive calls out fans who feel Deshaun Watson has served his time
Deshaun Watson's freedom from criminal charges puts an explosive exclamation point on a week filled with massive news. With the quarterback's worst fears behind him, his options for employment have skyrocketed. However, he's not completely out of the woods. Andrew Brandt, a former NFL executive and current NFL analyst, said as much in a tweet posted on March 11th.
He didn't like the opposition he received from fans who believe the quarterback has suffered enough. As such, he posted a blanket response on his timeline. Here's what he said:
Surprising (or not) that many comments suggesting Watson should get "time served" from the NFL for last season.
People, Watson was active, paid and didn't want to play for them. There was nothing resembling a suspension.
Please.
"Surprising (or not) that many comments suggesting Watson should get "time served" from the NFL for last season. People, Watson was active, paid and didn't want to play for them. There was nothing resembling a suspension. Please."
Here is the original tweet that caused the uproar:
There were no criminal charges against Ben Roethlisberger.
There were no criminal charges against Ezekiel Elliott.
Both had incidents with one woman, not multiple.
Both were suspended for six games.
#Precedent twitter.com/AdamSchefter/s…
"There were no criminal charges against Ben Roethlisberger.There were no criminal charges against Ezekiel Elliott.Both had incidents with one woman, not multiple.Both were suspended for six games.#Precedent"
In Brandt's mind, Ezekiel Elliott and Ben Roethlisberger's case directly informs how the NFL will treat Watson going forward. Both players survived criminal court and were suspended for six games. While the quarterback did not play football, he was benched by his team and not suspended by the league.
Deshaun Watson's absence, explained
The NFL never suspended the quarterback in 2021. Instead, the quarterback was paid to sit back and miss the entire season. The difference between a suspension and holding out is clear. To use an analogy, being suspended from school is different from playing hookie. Watson was not suspended. He could return at any time. Instead, he was closer to playing hookie.
Of course, most students don't play hookie looking to be traded to another school. Meanwhile, that was the quarterback's goal. However, in the end, choosing not to play football and being forced to not play football are two different things. At face value, they look the same, but the context of the actions matters.
Teams that have an interest in the quarterback now need to take into account how long he could be out for once the league runs its own investigation and decides the ultimate punishment.
In the end, not too many teams will be turned off by a suspension, but it could lower the price of the quarterback and present a short-term problem. While the quarterback is gone, his future team will need to decide on a placeholder.