Do you think it’s a good sign when the owners of a sports franchise must release a statement saying they are “aware and empathetic to the highly personal sentiments expressed about this decision,” after they trade for a player whom they are about to pay an amount of money that would make Scrooge McDuck blush? You don’t need to answer that. That’s the situation the Cleveland Browns found themselves in—or rather, put themselves in despite zero pressure to do so—in 2022 after trading for quarterback Deshaun Watson, who at the time had 22 allegations of sexual misconduct and assault from massage therapists around the Houston area, a number that eventually climbed to 27. Over four years later, after playing almost exclusively awful football, Watson began the 2026 season still occupying the starting quarterback position for the Browns. I think “occupy” is apt because he seems to be staging a protest against playing good football, as evidenced by the Browns’ 34-10 thrashing by the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week One.

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