Thursday Night Football broadcast draws fire for minimizing Watson's misconduct history

Key points

• The Browns defeated the Steelers 27-24, improving to a 3-1 record and leading the AFC North, with Watson completing 24 of 33 passes for 268 yards.
• Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit avoided discussing Watson's 27 sexual assault allegations, referring to them vaguely as 'the Deshaun Watson thing' or 'past troubles' during the broadcast.
• Critics, including SB Nation and Fox News, condemned the broadcast for framing Watson's return as a redemption arc, ignoring his 11-game NFL suspension and $50 million in lawsuit settlements.
• Studio analyst Ryan Fitzpatrick initially dismissed Watson's success as luck but conceded at halftime that Watson 'proved a lot of people wrong' after a strong first half.
• Watson's contract is described as fully guaranteed and historically large, insulating him from the consequences of his poor play and legal issues that would have affected other players.

Background

Deshaun Watson was suspended by the NFL in 2021 following 27 civil lawsuits alleging sexual misconduct during massage appointments between 2017 and 2020. He settled the lawsuits for approximately $50 million and was traded to the Browns in 2022 on a massive, fully guaranteed contract. Recent archive coverage notes that Michaels faced separate criticism for on-air errors in a previous Thursday Night Football broadcast, highlighting ongoing scrutiny of the network's coverage quality.

How outlets are covering it

SB Nation and Fox News sharply criticized the broadcast for 'vile' whitewashing, arguing that Michaels and Herbstreit minimized Watson's assault history to focus on his on-field performance. They noted that Watson's success is largely due to the Browns' defense, not his individual brilliance. Conversely, Ryan Fitzpatrick, while initially skeptical of Watson's longevity, acknowledged his strong first-half performance but maintained that the Browns' overall offense remains statistically poor. The New York Post highlighted the awkwardness of the broadcast team's attempt to gloss over the 'thing' without providing context, while the Akron Beacon Journal focused on the statistical debate regarding Watson's viability as a long-term starter.

Why it matters

The incident highlights the tension between sports media narratives and accountability for athlete misconduct. By reframing sexual assault allegations as 'adversity,' broadcasters may be normalizing the return of accused individuals to the public stage without adequate context or consequences, raising questions about the ethics of sports coverage and the role of wealth in avoiding legal repercussions.

What to watch

The Browns will continue their season with Watson as the starter, though Fitzpatrick predicts he may be replaced by Shedeur Sanders or Dillon Gabriel if the team's losses accumulate. Public and media scrutiny of the broadcast team's handling of Watson's history is likely to persist as the season progresses.