"This dude’s a predator" - Pat McAfee pressures NFL to put Deshaun Watson on Roger Goodell's Exempt List
Deshaun Watson is still facing trials roughly a year-and-a-half after the first accusations were formally made. The quarterback was initially accused by 22 women of sexual misconduct in early 2021.
Now, in mid-2022, an additional two alleged victims have come forward. There is also a report by the New York Times alleging that the quarterback saw at least 66 massage therapists in a 17-month span.
Speaking on the Pat McAfee Show, host Pat McAfee exressed his feelings on the matter, ultimately calling the quarterback a "predator."
“The Deshaun Watson stuff, it feels like just personally, a lot of like a alleged [stuff has] happened. There were two indictments that did not come [but] it was jury-heard testimony, heard evidence, more than we had heard, but this is all alarming. It's very serious. But we will hear as this goes, and we will judge accordingly. We want justice to be served."
My heart breaks for every woman who works in the Browns organization. Can’t imagine how hard it has to be to go into that building every day with each new detail of the Deshaun Watson story that comes out. If those in charge did do due diligence and made move anyway… shameful.
He continued, hinting that the Browns might be feeling the beginnings of serious buyer's remorse.
"Now, it's hard not to just be like, it really feels like this dude's a predator [based on what] Jenny Vrentas says and what the accusers attorney Buzbee has been doing this entire time…. Because the Browns have to be sitting there like, 'Oh, what did you know,' did [the Browns] know, the more we learn and more we hear, and it's all allegations and accusations."
He went on, expecting future trials to become as widely talked about as the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard case.
"There might be 24 different trials we're hearing which we'll hear a lot of if it's anything like Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, we're gonna hear a lot [about] the Browns or the NFL. Is there anybody in there that's like, 'This can't happen any longer?'"
The Texans should be ashamed. The Browns should be quadruply ashamed. And Deshaun Watson should never play in the NFL again. The end.
Lastly, the show host put forward an expectation that the quarterback should be given paid leave to wrap up his cases.
"Is there ever going to be a [time for] this that they tell Deshaun: 'You have to go, you have to leave the league and handle this' or anything because it's not good for anybody.”
Deshaun Watson's career
Deshaun Watson was initially drafted by the Houston Texans in 2017. Since then, the quarterback has put forward three .500-or-better seasons.
Additionally, he has thrown at least two touchdowns for every interception every season. In his most recent season, he threw for more than three touchdowns per interception.
In 2020, Watson put up his best stats but it was by far his team's worst season since 2017. Generally, when the quarterback does well, the team does well, but this was not the case in 2020. Most agree that this was the beginning of the downfall for the quarterback.
After the conclusion of the season, the accusations against Watson were made by 22 women. The accusations factored into the quarterback's decision to stay out of football in 2021.
However, after escaping criminal charges on the 22, the quarterback was traded to the Cleveland Browns. Almost as soon as the ink dried on his massive new contract, two more victims came forward.
Put simply, many say the trials could consume Watson. Will he ever return to a time in which he's not fighting in court?