Deshaun Watson and the moral dilemma at the forefront of Cleveland Browns football

Is it possible to pull for a player to do well on the field without endorsing a history of personal misconduct?

This is the moral dilemma surrounding Deshaun Watson of the Cleveland Browns as we enter a new NFL season. In fact, it’s my moral conundrum.

Watson was named the Cleveland Browns’ quarterback earlier this week, ending an intense summerlong competition between him and fan favorite Shedeur Sanders. The announcement set off a social media firestorm among a segment of frustrated Cleveland Browns fans or those who want Sanders to be the starter.

The problem with Watson, and the source of the moral dilemma he represents, is his behavior that surfaced during his time with the Houston Texans. Twenty-seven women filed civil suits against him alleging sexual misconduct during massage sessions between 2020 and 2021. Watson faced criminal investigations and was suspended for 11 games by the NFL, though no criminal charges were filed. All of the cases were settled, and Watson is currently free from the legal issues. The moral issues, however, remain.

The lawsuits described behavior that was ugly and predatory, alleging Watson used massage therapy appointments as opportunities to expose himself and engage in nonconsensual sexual contact. To the consternation of critics, Watson consistently has denied the allegations.

He has, however, conceded that he has not lived up to the five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed contract he signed. He understands that failing to be the root cause of fans’ resentment.

“It’s my job to show that I’m capable of putting points on the board and getting W’s, and I think that if we can do that, then I can earn the respect and loyalty of the rest of the fanbase,'” Watson said. “That’s what I’ve got to do, because it was a big investment, and we haven’t gotten the product out of that investment so far.”

I find myself pulling for a Watson comeback story on the field and allowing for redemption in his personal life.

Watson has the right to begin anew, and he received a fresh start this week when Cleveland coach Todd Monken named him the Browns’ starter.

Now, Watson must climb a very steep mountain. The extended competition between Watson and Sanders put whoever was named starter at a serious disadvantage, having been unable to develop chemistry with a new starting unit. Now that Monken has named a starter, the challenge is to put together a game plan against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the season opener.

Monken’s decision to start Watson over Sanders was not based on popularity, but on football operation: Who mastered multiple cadences? Who showed mastery at running the offense from the line of scrimmage? Who had better control of the offense? Who had the superior athletic ability? In essence, who gives Cleveland the best chance to win Week 1 on the road against Jacksonville?

The correct answer, in the here and now, is the 30-year-old Watson.

The No. 12 pick in the 2017 NFL draft was a star in the league between 2017 and 2021. When healthy, he offers more than Sanders, especially considering the circumstances: a new coaching staff, new offense, new terminology, five new starters on the offensive line, two new wide receivers, and starting the season on the road.

Watson’s glory days may be behind him, but in the estimation of the Browns’ first-year coaching staff, he gives Cleveland a better chance than Sanders to begin the season with momentum.

But the Browns’ newly minted starter has to develop thicker skin. After being booed in a preseason game on Aug. 22, Watson allowed his frustration to boil over and lashed out at Cleveland fans who did the booing, calling it disrespectful and personal.

He walked back his comments a few days later, after being named the starter. What Watson may not fully realize is that the reason some Cleveland fans have contempt for him, in addition to allegations of sexual assault, is because they have love for Sanders and the mystique that has followed him from Jackson State to Colorado and now to the Browns.

Fortunately for Watson — and perhaps for Cleveland fans — Monken is a hardnosed, old-school football coach who does not traffic in mystique or misstatements. In announcing Watson as the starter, Monken was asked whether Watson’s statements about Browns fans influenced his decision one way or the other.

“Absolutely not. Zero,” he said. “There was nothing to do with that. Ultimately, the fans want us to win … to put a good product on the field. That’s our job as coaches, why we’re hired — to try to put the best product on the field. And when we don’t, then I understand their frustration. But ultimately, they don’t decide who plays. I mean, who would I be if I let someone outside of the building decide who plays?”

In fact, Monken said that when he spoke to Watson, he told him how to stop the booing.

“The conversation was, ‘The way we make this go away is to play good football,’ ” Monken said.

Watson got the message.

“I’ve got to just focus on playing football,” he told reporters this week. “Just focus on playing good football. And if we win playing good football, then it will take care of itself. Then I think everything else is going to work out how it’s supposed to work out.”

If Cleveland wins its first two games on the road and return home 2-0, Browns fans will likely be singing Watson’s praises. If Cleveland wins five of its first six games, fans will be worshipping at the shrine of Watson. If the Browns make the playoffs, Watson might be able to run for office. That’s fandom.

Watson’s teammates apparently like him, and they like Sanders as well. The Browns’ coaching staff, front office and ownership have faith Watson can jump-start a successful future for the franchise — one Sanders may have a large role in shaping.

For now, Watson’s back is against the wall.

In the short term, he begins the season on the road with a new offense and a core of talented but young players he has not had a full opportunity to work with. In the long run, this likely is Watson’s last shot at remaining in Cleveland. He was signed to an unprecedented, guaranteed contract he has failed to live up to.

Watson has not made much good news since coming to Cleveland, so being named the Browns’ starter was understandably gratifying,

“It’s great,” he said. “This is what I’ve been working [on] for two years, is to be able to show that I’m capable of being a starter for one of the 32 organizations in this league. It felt good — a lot of excitement. But it comes with a lot of work, too. There’s going to be a lot of ups and downs, but at the same time, I’m excited to be a starting quarterback in this league, especially a starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns.”

Waston’s greatest challenge will be salvaging his legacy. His misdeeds are a matter of public record and will follow him for the rest of his career, perhaps for the rest of his life.

He was married last summer, and if he and his wife have a family, their children will be able to research the lawsuits filed against their father. Their grandchildren will be able to research what their grandfather allegedly did when he was in his 20s.

In that respect, Watson is in a prison of his own making. I simply choose not to insist that he stay there.

There are comebacks on the field and redemption in life. I’m pulling for the comeback and allowing for redemption.