"He will never have peace" - Ryan Clark believes Deshaun Watson will never be forgiven
Former Pittsburgh Steelers star Ryan Clark believes that Deshaun Watson will never find peace over the allegations of sexual misconduct that were aimed at him.
With the quarterback having fully served his 11-game suspension, he is free to once again play in the NFL. Funnily enough, Watson's first game back is against his former team, the Houston Texans.
Clark, who was speaking on ESPN's First Take. With still so many questions being asked about the alleged incidents involving the quarterback, Clark thinks that it will never go away. Here's what he said:
"For those who think Deshaun Watson is guilty, he's never going to be able to fix that. He's never going to be able to change that perception. To this day, I can't speak on a quarterback without having someone on Twitter or some fan ask me about playing with Ben Roethlisberger when he had these sort of allegations. This will never go away from Deshaun Watson."
Clark added:
“You're speaking about this going away from Deshaun Watson. Ten of the women involved in the lawsuit are going to be at that stadium. I've watched people protest Michael Vick for dog fighting for his entire for the remainder of his career. People still bring that up as it pertains to Michael Vick. This is never going away. Deshaun Watson will never have peace.”
As Clark alluded to, the questions surrounding Watson's allegations will continue. This will keep the incidents at the front of people's minds, hence why Clark thinks the 27-year-old will never find peace. That is probably the main point, in the mind of Watson's detractors.
Deshaun Watson ready for first game back after suspension
Having not played a meaningful game since 2020, Watson will step into the role that Jacoby Brissett held while he was suspended. The Cleveland Browns sit third in the AFC North with a 4-7 record. They are three games behind the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens, so the playoffs look unlikely.
The Browns can get some meaningful games back into the 27-year-old and get him up to speed on the offense. While it appears to be a lost season of sorts for the Browns, these next six games could get their star quarterback in rhythm ahead of the preseason. This can then carry over to the year.
Unless, of course, Watson can lead the Browns to victories in all their remaining games. In which case, they'll likely make the playoffs. This would be an interesting development, but on the surface it seems unlikely. Realistically, it's just too much to ask.
Whatever transpires, no matter what Watson does from now on, those lingering accusations will continue to follow him wherever he goes.
If you use any of the above quotes, please credit First Take and H/T Sportskeeda.