Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson is currently facing 22 allegations of sexual assault and misconduct, with the alleged incidents occurring from 2019 to March of this year. He is under criminal investigation by the Houston police, the NFL is conducting its own inquiry and Watson is likely facing a multi-game suspension.
Watson, represented by attorney Rusty Hardin, has not yet been placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt List. If commissioner Roger Goodell places him on the exempt list this summer, Watson will not be allowed to practice or attend games. However, he would still be owed his $10.54 million salary.
Less than one year on, back in July 2020 there was talk of Deshaun Watson getting a $40-million contract extension. In September 2020 he signed a massive $157-million four-year deal, in what now looks like a $10.54-million mistake (at least).
As the story unfolds, big questions remain. One of which is:
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The original report about Deshaun Watson’s 2020 contract extension is below, written July 6, 2020:
Deshaun Watson contract update
The Kansas City Chiefs made Patrick Mahomes the richest player in NFL history on Monday. While Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson might not match Mahomes’ contract, he’s reportedly going to land a staggering deal of his own.
The Houston Texans started discussing a contract extension with Deshaun Watson in April, then picked up his fifth-year option. While an extension isn’t imminent, per The Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson, Watson’s eventual contract will still be staggering.
Whenever Watson signs his contract, the deal is expected to land him between $40-42 million per season. Better yet for the star quarterback, he is reportedly going to land a short-term extension that would allow him to become a free agent before his age-30 season.
Before Mahomes signed his record-breaking extension, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson was the NFL’s highest-paid player at $35 million annually. Once Watson signs his contract, he would easily blow past Wilson’s mark.
Watson has proven to be one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks. In 2019, he carried the Texans to the playoffs and threw for 3,852 yards, rushed for 413 yards and compiled 34 total touchdowns.
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