How are we supposed to feel about the Saints’ pursuit of Deshaun Watson?
With the Saints reportedly making a trade offer to acquire embattled former Pro Bowl QB Deshaun Watson, the time has come for us to reconcile our feelings about potentially having an accused sex criminal as the face of our beloved franchise.
The matter has been put to bed in criminal court – Watson won’t face any charges from the criminal investigation sparked by 22 civil lawsuits alleging sexual misconduct and sexual assault – but that doesn’t mean he won’t be found liable in civil court or face discipline from the NFL for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.
Watson provides tremendous upside and is one of the most talented quarterbacks in the league. Even with newly un-retired Bucs QB Tom Brady lingering, the Saints have an opportunity to own the NFC South for the next decade if Watson returns to form with a roster that is built to win now. Plus, if the Saints don’t acquire Watson, the Carolina Panthers might.
Strictly speaking from a football perspective, the risk is just as tremendous as the upside and it could be the biggest gamble in Saints history. Watson might face a lengthy suspension and if he is accused of anything new, the team would have to weather a public relations fire storm and potential fan exodus without a star QB plus whatever players and picks were sent away to get him. The Saints would be, in scientific terms, completely fucked.
The backlash on social media is already loud. Some are disgusted by the player and the potential decision to trade for him. Others don’t care what he does off the field so long as the team wins.
Is there a right answer? A right way to feel about this? I don’t know, and that’s okay.
Those vowing to boycott the Saints (or any other team) if they should acquire Watson are certainly justified. No one’s going to blame you if you refuse to support a player who has been accused of and might be guilty of such monstrous behavior.
But it’s far more likely than not that anyone reading this has no real knowledge of what actually happened. There’s a hell of a lot of smoke, but no one can say for certain whether or not Watson is guilty of anything. It’s a complicated situation and it will continue to evolve for months, if not years.
Personally, I am conflicted.
It should go without saying that if what Watson is accused of is true, he is irredeemable and his career is likely over. If he loses any civil lawsuits or is accused of anything new after being traded, that team will be incinerated by media and fans alike. The front office might lose their jobs. If Mickey Loomis and the Saints brain trust are set on trading for Watson, they’re staking their careers on it.
At the same time, a QB as talented as Deshaun Watson is rarely ever available. He’s good enough to make the Saints instant contenders again and the thought of having a Pro Bowl caliber signal caller for the next 5-10 years is tantalizing.
The Saints have never really been in a situation like this. In the summer of 2015, defensive end Junior Galette already had a poor reputation in the locker room when he was caught on video hitting a woman. It was cut and dry; his tenure as a Saint was over.
In 2016, when Darren Sharper was sentenced to prison for his sex crimes, he had been retired for six years. It was easy for everyone to distance themselves from him because he wasn’t playing anymore.
In a situation like this, it might be instructive to look to another major source of American entertainment: Hollywood. The film and television industry has been having its own reckoning since 2017. Infamous men like producer Harvey Weinstein (convicted of criminal sexual assault and rape) and actor Kevin Spacey (there are too many charges and allegations to list) have made some of the most iconic films ever, so are we supposed to never enjoy them again?
What do we do with art made by bad people? This is a topic that deserves a textbook of its own, but at the risk of oversimplification, no one has the answer. It’s up to you, on an individual basis, whether you can stomach Shakespeare in Love, American Beauty or Glengarry Glen Ross anymore.
In no way am I condoning what Deshaun Watson is accused of. It’s horrifying. But at this moment, I simply do not have enough information to form an opinion on the man or any potential transactions involving him. That could certainly change, but for now, I don’t know what to think.
In the end, we are at the mercy of Loomis and co. If they want to go get Watson, they’ll do everything in their power to make it happen, and they are apparently ready to risk their livelihoods on him. If or when they do, it’ll be up to you, and only you, to determine how you feel about it.
