Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson has settled with the NFL on the matter of allegations of sexual misconduct against him,
to the tune of an 11-game suspension and a $5 million fine. This is the largest financial penalty the league has ever given an individual, but it looks like the 26-year-old is good for it.
https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1560333272357519363?s=20&t=uDObAfnJQ5JBbaYGeUvTXQ
Watson’s rising star The Houston Texans selected Watson in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft ,
and signed him to a four-year, $13.84 million contract that provided him with an $8.21 million signing bonus.
The Texans immediately got a return on their investment- the quarterback delivered an outstanding performance in his rookie year,
and though an injury cut his season short. It was enough to earn him a place in the All-Rookie team.
His star continued to rise in the next three years, getting consecutive Pro Bowl nods from 2018-2020 as Houston’s primary starter and leading the Texans to back-to-back division titles in 2018 and 2019.
With all this under his belt, Watson was in an excellent position to negotiate a higher rate.
In 2020, he signed a four-year $156 million contract extension that provided a $27 million signing bonus.
This was a significant pay increase from his rookie contract, as this came out to a salary of $39 million per year.