Deshaun Wastons’ first interview since returning to the Cleveland Browns was not good

Deshaun Watson doesn’t sound like he changed at all following his suspension.

The Cleveland Browns are going to have a PR nightmare on their hands. Deshaun Watson is back with the team and he’s already going out of his way to make his teammates’ lives harder than they need to be. Judge Sue L. Robinson ruled that Watson had committed sexual assault, and recommended a suspension that the NFL and Watson’s legal team negotiated to 11 games.

Those 11 games are up, and Watson is back on the field. You’d think that Watson would take the Michael Vick or Ryan Leaf approach; through yourself at mercy of the public, be contrite, be apologetic and show the world you’re aware that your actions hurt people and you want to make it right.

Vick rejuvenated his entire career because he did just that. He served his time, came out the other end a better man, and owned up to his issues. Now he’s a respected television personality. Watson? Well, Watson basically pulled a Les Snead by telling the media that he’ll only answer football questions.

Cute. Yet he did answer some, like why did he settle if he was innocent?

From ESPN;

"I was just trying whatever I could do to play football in 2022. Most of the settlement stuff with the NFL was mostly my agency and legal team. I had no control. My main focus was doing everything I needed to do to play this year."

One would think that your reputation is more important than a game.

When asked what Watson learned from the counseling he had to attend, counseling he had to complete in order to be eligible to play ever again, Watson brushed it off;

"That’s more in that phase of clinical and legal stuff.  I’ve been advised to stay away from that and keep that personal. … I’m focusing on football. That’s my main focus is football and preparing to be the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns so I can execute the game plan to try to get a win this Sunday."

Now, in Watson’s defense of the second quote, he does still have two active lawsuits out on him at the moment. One just filed in late October. So he obviously won’t want to talk about that stuff just yet. If ever.

The Cleveland Browns never should’ve had him do press if he couldn’t speak to the abuse he caused

We’re no longer in the “he may have not done it” phase of the conversation. A judge ruled he did. That’s all anyone should need to know; an expert on law decided the man broke it. Boom. Watson is the most disliked human being in the NFL right now, and that includes a league with Jerry Jones.

Well, Watson and Dan Snyder are neck and neck. I almost forgot about that awful Sean Taylor display. Yet, Watson has to rehab his image. Snyder is, hopefully, about to get forced out of the NFL, Watson still has four more seasons of guaranteed contract after 2022.

He isn’t going anywhere.

Rehabbing his image is so important, and the Browns are doing just about nothing to see that happen. I’m not sure what the NFL rules are, but I’m sure the Browns could’ve come out and said that until the legal proceedings are resolved, Watson won’t be speaking to the media.

Ok, that’s fair. I get that. Yet, for him to basically pass the buck, yet again mind you, and claim that it was his counsel that made the decision to settle and that he didn’t want to? The minute you say that you don’t get to hide behind the “well, he’s got pending lawsuits”.

The man just inferred he didn’t want to settle, and why would he want to avoid settling unless he believed he didn’t do anything wrong?

The man was supposed to go see a therapist to understand that what he did was wrong; and yet, he still doesn’t seem to have a clue. This is only going to get worst. But this is what the Browns signed up for, so I hope all of you want to read about this endlessly because knowing Watson, he’s going to say a lot of things worth talking about.