Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti saw Deshaun Watson’s contract with the Browns and checked his piggy bank.
Bisciotti, whose front office has yet to ink star quarterback Lamar Jackson to a long-term contract extension, was critical of the Cleveland Browns’ unprecedented contract for the embattled signal-caller on Tuesday.
“I’m trying to answer that when I had a reaction to it. And it’s like, ‘Damn, I wish they hadn’t guaranteed the whole contract,’” Bisciotti told reporters at the NFL league meetings in Palm Beach, Florida.
Watson was traded to the Browns about two weeks ago and immediately signed a five-year, $230 million contract that is fully guaranteed. The contract is the first long-term, fully guaranteed contract for an NFL quarterback. The guaranteed money Watson will receive from the Browns is $80 million more than the previous NFL record.
“I don’t know that he should’ve been the first guy to get a fully guaranteed contract,” Bisciotti said. “To me, that’s something that is groundbreaking, and it’ll make negotiations harder with others.”
Jackson is entering the fifth-year option on his rookie contract.
“It doesn’t necessarily mean that we have to play that game, you know?” Bisciotti said regarding whether Watson’s contract impacts the Ravens’ negotiations with Jackson. “We shall see. If I was in bogged-down negotiations with Lamar, then maybe I would have a quicker reaction to that news.”
Bisciotti isn’t the only person to criticize the contract.
One NFL executive anonymously told writer Peter King for his “Football Morning in America” column that the contract “stinks to high heaven.”
Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank said Tuesday that the guaranteed deal for Watson “says a lot” about the Browns’ commitment to him.
The Falcons pursued a trade for Watson and were seen as the favorites before the Browns swooped in to secure the 26-year-old. After the Watson trade, Atlanta pivoted to sign former Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota to replace Matt Ryan, who the Falcons traded to the Carson Wentz-less Colts.
“The fact it’s $80 million above the highest contract ever given guaranteed in the history of the league [that is] 102 years old says a lot,” Blank said. “Whether or not most teams in the NFL — or any other team — would’ve committed to that, I don’t know. It’s certainly a huge commitment.”
Many NFL fans, including Browns fans, have objected to the team trading three first-round picks and paying an exorbitant amount of guaranteed money to a person who has been accused by 22 women of sexual assault and sexual misconduct. Some have canceled their Browns season tickets, like Jim Thome’s wife Andrea, who called the trade for Watson her “line in the sand.”
They may not give us a refund. But I sent the letter today. If @Browns won’t refund—-I will auction off every single game and publicly donate every cent to different women’s crisis charities in N.E. Ohio, raising awareness week by week during the season.
— Andrea Thome (@AndreaThome) March 26, 2022
Two Texas grand juries have declined to indict Watson on the criminal complaints, but he still faces lawsuits from the 22 women in civil court. Watson and his lawyers have denied the allegations.
“I don’t have any regrets,” Watson said during his introductory press conference on Friday. “The things are off the field right now caught me by surprise because I never did anything that these people are alleging.”
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Tuesday said the league’s investigation into Deshaun Watson has “no timetable.”
“We’re going to let the facts lead us, find every fact we can,” Goodell said. “At least there is a resolution from the criminal side of it. Our investigation hopefully will have access to more information. We will speak to everyone who can give us a perspective.”
Despite sitting out the entire 2021 season, Watson, 26, is considered one of the top young quarterbacks in the NFL, alongside Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Jackson.
• Jacob Calvin Meyer can be reached at jmeyer@washingtontimes.com.
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