BEREA, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Another day, more questions about Deshaun Watson to be answered.
Except head coach Kevin Stefanski and Watson’s teammates were left to answer them.
To Stefanski’s and the player’s credit, they have handled them respectfully.
“I do understand that you have a job to do, so just going to provide as much information as I can when I can,” Stefanski said following the final OTA open to reporters Wednesday.
The scope and volume of allegations against Watson has grown since the March trade that saw the Browns send the Texans six draft picks, including three first rounders, for Watson.
With that knowledge, has Stefanski’s comfort level with having Watson on his team changed?
“I understand the question,” Stefanski said. “I think for me that I’m going to be respectful of the investigation and the legal proceedings and let that play out.”
Two more women have filed suit in civil court against Watson alleging sexual misconduct during massage therapy sessions. The most recent lawsuit and the allegations contained within it was news to Watson’s own defense team.
The known number of women sought by Watson for “therapy” has now grown from 40 to at least 66, and likely more, following an explosive report by Jenny Vrentas of the New York Times.
Did the Browns, who lauded their extensive investigation into Watson prior to pursuing the quarterback at their introductory press conference in March, know there were this many women involved?
“I understand why you have to ask that, but I’m just going to be respectful of the process and let it play out,” Stefanski said.
On the field, Watson looks every bit like the three-time Pro Bowl quarterback who led the NFL in passing the last season he played football – 2020 – and he appears unaffected by the firestorm around him.
“I think for everybody you come to work, and you’ve got to work, and you have to make sure that you focus on your job and focus on the job that you have to do out there with the players, and I think that’s what he’s doing,” Stefanski said.
Watson’s teammates don’t seem to be affected by the allegations made against Watson as they’ve embraced him and what he potentially could bring to the Browns, assuming the NFL lets him play this season.
“Anytime you have something going on away from the building, off the field, you never want that to leak into the building,” safety John Johnson III said. “Once we cross these lines on the field, once we step into this building, it’s Browns football and it’s work. So you know, deaths in the family, any off the field issues, you never want to see a guy going through something but we have to bring him in as a teammate and we’re just going to keep pushing. Once we step in the building, we’re in the building.”
Watson’s legal problems make him susceptible to potential league discipline, which if significant has the potential to derail the Browns upcoming season before it even begins, a notion that Johnson politely pushed back on.
“You know in a perfect world, we wish that it wasn’t here,” Johnson said. “But I don’t think it’s anything that could get in the way. It’s a speed bump. It’s not really like a barrier that blocks us from where want to get. I think it’s a speed bump, so once we get over and we hit full steam ahead, we’ll be fine.”
Watson’s position coach Drew Petzing praised their franchise QB.
“He’s been awesome,” Petzing said. “He came in Day 1 and works extremely hard, very coachable, competes at a really high level. I think he takes the job very seriously. He’s been a lot of fun to coach here over a short amount of time so [he’s] been really fun to work with.”
Give the Browns credit for trying to bury the lede Wednesday by announcing that they have excused Baker Mayfield from next week’s mandatory minicamp. They get an ‘A’ for effort for trying to deflect the attention away from Watson, but their current strategy of deflecting it isn’t working as the questions mount.
Two more lawsuits filed in civil court.
Crickets.
A report that Watson sought massages from at least 66 women.
Crickets.
The people that should be answering these questions about Watson’s disturbing behavior and the accusations that continue to come with it remain unavailable to talk.
Not ownership, who gave the stamp of approval.
Not the guy who made the trade, Andrew Berry.
And certainly not the guy that brought this black cloud with him from Houston – Watson himself.
The Browns are paying $230 million for a PR disaster that is not going away anytime soon while the people that created this mess continue to stay silent, except teammates and their head coach, who are left hung out to dry to answer for them.
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