Howdy, welcome to your Wednesday Deep Dive. Let’s get started.
On Sunday, Deshaun Watson lost to the Jets, an embarrassing hiccup in the national campaign to rehabilitate his image.
Which is a shame. Watson has paid his debt to the league, worked to come back from several career-threatening injuries, and reestablished himself as a full-time NFL starter. But that's not even the whole story.
After all, Watson’s reinstatement was predicated on making the world a better place: via a big donation to charity, one the Browns and NFL also chipped in to.
But for some reason, no one is talking about all that benevolence.
Huh. Wonder why.
After Cleveland traded for Watson, the league’s quasi-independent disciplinary office found that he had “engaged in sexual assault” and suspended him for six games.
The NFL threatened to appeal, with even the platitudinous Roger Goodell calling Watson’s behavior “predatory.”
Eventually, they settled on an 11-game suspension and a $5 million fine. That money, alongside an extra $1 million each from the NFL and the Browns, would serve a very specific purpose.
"This fund will support the work of non-profit organizations across the country that educate young people on healthy relationships, promote education and prevention of sexual misconduct and assault, support survivors, and related causes," the league announced.
That statement came out four years ago, in August 2022. And if you Google any combination of “Watson,” “NFL,” “Browns,” “non-profit,” “sexual abuse,” “misconduct,” “donation,” you come up empty. There hasn’t been a single story about it.
Until today. Perhaps because that money isn’t doing quite what the NFL said it would.
After I presented my findings, the league responded. And acknowledged that not all the money was actually going to outside charities.
Where did the $7 million actually go?
I got the NFL to finally give us answers—and its explanation raises an even bigger question.
Become a paid subscriber to see exactly what I found out.
Roger Goodell via Simon Bruty / Contributor / Getty; Jimmy Haslam via Chris Unger / Contributor / Getty; Deshaun Watson via Nick Cammett / Stringer / Getty
