The Cleveland Browns made a significant investment in quarterback Deshaun Watson in March 2022, trading three first-round picks and signing him to a fully guaranteed $230 million contract despite over two dozen accusations of sexual misconduct.
Since then, Watson has played just 13 games and has not performed to expectations, including a recent subpar game against the Dallas Cowboys where he threw for only 169 yards and two interceptions in a lopsided loss.
On September 10, 2024, Dan LeBatard, a prominent sports podcaster, suggested that the Browns might be leaking damaging information about Watson to pave the way for voiding the remainder of his contract.
A new, graphic sexual assault allegation surfaced in a lawsuit filed Monday, and LeBatard speculated that Cleveland could be strategically using this to escape the more than $100 million still owed to Watson over the next three years.
LeBatard voiced his disdain, stating, “It’s pretty gross,” and questioned the ethics of such a move. He and his former producer Mike Ryan Ruiz have long criticized the Browns for their decision to reward Watson with a massive contract despite his unresolved legal issues.
Now, their criticism focuses on the potential hypocrisy of the team trying to back out of that commitment. LeBatard added:
“The finances of this are so cold and awful that you’re now like, ‘Oh the Browns are going to try and see if they can sneak away from everything.'”
