Deshaun Watson shocked the NFL world this week when he chose to waive his no-trade clause for the Cleveland Browns, and many people decided to react to the move by showing support for sexual assault victims.
The Cleveland Rape Crisis Center issued a statement on Saturday revealing that more than 1,000 donations had come in since the Browns acquired Watson. Spokeswoman Donisha Green called the donations “an overwhelmingly generous response from the community.” The organization also called the Watson trade “triggering for far too many of our friends and neighbors,” according to Cleveland.com.
Watson, of course, has been accused of sexual assault by nearly two dozen women. Several of the alleged victims filed criminal complaints, but a grand jury last week declined to charge Watson. He is still facing several civil lawsuits. Watson’s new contract with the Browns may be structured in a way that protects him if he is suspended.
Any team that acquired Watson would have faced criticism. The fact of the matter is most of the interested teams were worried about the potential of criminal charges. Once that became a non-issue, the Browns and others felt comfortable aggressively pursuing Watson.
The NFL will now conduct its own investigation into the allegations against Watson. It would be a surprised if he isn’t suspended.
Photo: Aug 17, 2019; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) before a game against the Detroit Lions at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
