SUSPENSION LOOMING?
Just when you thought you could predict Deshaun Watson’s fate, consider this
Mar 8, 2022, 1:52 pm
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell could lower the boom on Watson. Composite image by Jack Brame.
How the NFL's inaction could lead to a reunion between Watson, Texans
The other afternoon I was driving (5 mph stop and start) on I-45, listening to the radio and the sports talk host posed this question to his listeners:
Which will happen first – the baseball lockout ends or the Texans announce a Deshaun Watson trade?
Seriously? There will be a baseball season this year. There may not be a football season for Deshaun Watson in 2022.
What has happened, is there any indication, what makes anybody think that the Texans will find a trade partner for Deshaun Watson anytime soon?
Much like rush hour drivers on Houston highways, it’s time for the media to slam the brakes on Deshaun Watson trade talk. Right now all the Watson noise is just the media talking among themselves.
This week’s rumor has the Washington Commanders offering a slew of first-round picks for Watson. Add them to the Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, Carolina Panthers, Philadelphia Eagles and more unnamed mystery teams linked to courting Watson.
And yet here the Texans still sit with an albatross holding a $156 million contract who has no desire to play for the Texans and the Texans have even less interest in playing him. It’s an unbelievable situation, until you remember we’re talking about the Houston Texans.
Deshaun Watson has become the one thing he’s never been – boring. Why have the Texans been unable to unload their exquisitely talented young quarterback? Think maybe it’s because Watson faces 22 civil lawsuits and the possibility of criminal charges alleging sexual misconduct? While the Harris County district attorney is expected to decide whether to file criminal charges before April 1, all those civil cases could loom for months or who knows how long?
It’s important to remember that Watson denies all the accusations and this is America, he’s presumed innocent. As his lawyer Rusty Hardin repeatedly says, “Deshaun Watson did not do what he is accused of doing.”
It may not matter how Watson’s legal situation turns out. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell could lower the boom on Watson with a suspension based only on his personal disgust over Watson’s alleged misbehavior with nearly two dozen masseuses.
Goodell’s done it before. In 2010 Pittsburgh Steelers superstar quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was accused of sexually assaulting a female college student in a bar in Milledgeville, GA. Prosecutors investigated the accusation, did not find enough evidence to file charges, and the case was dropped. Goodell suspended Roethlisberger six games anyway.
Goodell wrote a letter to Roethlisberger explaining his decision. “I recognize that the allegations in Georgia were disputed and that they did not result in criminal charges being filed against you … that said, you are held to a higher standard as an NFL player, and there is nothing about your conduct in Milledgeville that can remotely be described as admirable, responsible, or consistent with either the values of the league or the expectations of our fans.”
I know a legal eagle who is a close follower of the Watson case. He believes that Watson will be suspended for “some, most or all of next season.” And “some” is about to leave town.
Goodell might be of mind to deal harshly with Watson, especially after being criticized for meting out mild punishment in past cases of violence against women. Ray Rice initially received only a two-game suspension for punching his fiancé, rendering her unconscious and dragging her body out of an elevator in 2014. Kareem Hunt missed only eight games for pushing and kicking a woman in 2018. No charges were filed against Hunt. The NFL suspended him for violating the Personal Conduct Policy.
This week Goodell suspended Atlanta Falcons receiver Calvin Ridley an entire season – for starters – for betting on NFL games. While gambling on football is legal, and the NFL is in bed with gambling sites, it is strictly against the rules for NFL players.
Goodell might be wary of appearing to punish a player more severely for gambling than a player accused of assaulting women.
The Athletic football writer Jeff Howe has it right: "Until Watson's legal situation is resolved, teams remain unwilling to pursue a trade for the Texans quarterback. ... Teams haven't shown any urgency to pursue a trade this offseason while his legal situation is still up in the air."
While April 1 is when Watson may find out whether he faces criminal charges, there are other dates affecting where, when and if he’ll play football next season. NFL free agency starts March 16 and the NFL draft begins on April 28. That’s when teams pretty much plot their plans and rosters set for next season.
Last week, Washington head coach Ron Rivera responded to rumors that the Commanders were pursuing a trade for Watson. He told CBS Sports: “I think in certain situations, clarity and some sort of resolution is probably better for all these things because we don’t know who’s available and we don’t know what the circumstances are.”
Clarity and resolution are nowhere to be found in Deshaun Watson’s world these days.
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Astros keep doing this, and it’s getting hard to ignore
Jun 25, 2025, 10:01 pm
While the rolling Astros have a week of possible World Series preview matchups against the Phillies and Cubs, it’s the Rockets who made the biggest local sports headline with their acquisition of Kevin Durant. What a move! Of course there is risk involved in trading for a guy soon to turn 37 years old and who carries an injury history, but balancing risk vs. reward is a part of the game. This is a fabulous move for the Rockets. It’s understood that there are dissenters to this view. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, including people with the wrong opinion! Let’s dig in.
The Rockets had a wonderful season in winning 52 games before their disappointing first-round playoff loss to the Warriors, but like everyone else in the Western Conference, they were nowhere close to Oklahoma City’s caliber. While they finished second in the West, the Rockets only finished four games ahead of the play-in. That letting the stew simmer with further growth among their young players would yield true championship contention was no given for 2025-26 or beyond.
Kevin Durant is one of the 10 greatest offensive players the NBA has ever seen. Among his current contemporaries only Stephen Curry and Nikola Jokic make that list. For instance, Durant offensively has clearly been better than the late and legendary Kobe Bryant. To view it from a Houston perspective, Durant has been an indisputably greater offensive force than the amazing Hakeem Olajuwon. But this is not a nostalgia trip in which the Rockets are trading for a guy based on what he used to be. While Durant could hit the wall at any point, living in fear that it’s about to happen is no way to live because KD, approaching his 18th NBA season, is still an elite offensive player.
As to the durability concern, Durant played more games (62) this past season than did Fred VanVleet, Jabari Smith, and Tari Eason. The season before he played more games (75) than did VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, and Alperen Sengun. In each of the last two seasons Durant averaged more minutes per game (36.9) than any Rocket. That was stupid and/or desperate of the Suns, the Rockets will be smarter. Not that the workload eroded Durant’s production or efficiency. Over the two seasons he averaged almost 27 points per game while shooting 52 percent from the floor, 42 percent from behind the three-point line, and 85 percent from the free throw line. Awesomeness. The Rockets made the leap to being a very good team despite a frankly crummy half-court offense. The Rockets ranked 21st among the 30 NBA teams in three-point percentage, and dead last in free throw percentage. Amen Thompson has an array of skills and looks poised to be a unique star. Alas, Thompson has no credible jump shot. VanVleet is not a creator, Smith has limited handle. Adding Durant directly addresses the Rockets’ most glaring weakness.
The price the Rockets paid was in the big picture, minimal, unless you think Jalen Green is going to become a bonafide star. Green is still just 23 years old and spectacular athletically, but nothing he has done over four pro seasons suggests he’s on the cusp of greatness. In no season has Green even shot the league average from the floor or from three. His defense has never been as good as it should be given his athleticism. Compared to some other two-guards who made the NBA move one year removed from high school, four seasons into his career Green is waaaaaay behind where Shae Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards, and Devin Booker were four seasons in, and now well behind his draft classmate Cade Cunningham. Dillon Brooks was a solid pro in two seasons here and shot a career-best from three in 2024-2025, but he’s being replaced by Kevin Durant! In terms of the draft pick capital sent to Phoenix, five second round picks are essentially meaningless. The Rockets have multiple extra first round picks in the coming years. As for the sole first-rounder dealt away, whichever player the Rockets would have taken 10th Wednesday night would have been rather unlikely to crack the playing rotation.
VanVleet signs extension
Re-signing Fred VanVleet to a two-year, 50 million dollar guarantee is sensible. In a vacuum, VanVleet was substantially overpaid at the over 40 mil he made per season the last two. He’s a middle-of-the-pack starting point guard. But his professionalism and headiness brought major value to the Rockets’ kiddie corps while their payroll was otherwise very low. Ideally, Reed Sheppard makes a leap to look like an NBA lead guard in his second season, after a pretty much zippo of a rookie campaign. Sheppard is supposed to be a lights-out shooter. For the Rockets to max out, they need two sharpshooters on the court to balance Thompson’s presence.
For Astro-centric conversation, join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and me for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday. Click here to catch!
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