Stephen A. Smith brings up Deshaun Watson’s dark off-field scandals: “You just made it worse”
Stephen A. Smith didn’t hold back when discussing Deshaun Watson’s play on the field and his controversial statements.
While thousands of fans are calling for Shedeur Sanders to be the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns , in one way or another the story from last season continues to repeat itself, leaving him relegated to the bench. Instead, Deshaun Watson appeared and tried to salvage some positive aspects of his Week 1 performance, but his comments—in which he also questioned media criticism—ended up drawing a harsh response from Stephen A. Smith .
Stephen A. Smith destroys Deshaun Watson
The ESPN analyst held nothing back and delivered a strong message against the Cleveland quarterback, reminding him of both his poor play on the field and the controversies that have marked his career.
“Deshaun Watson, in Cleveland, you have been awful,” Smith said. “And if you were to get arrested for being awful, I wouldn’t knock it … It has been very, very bad.”
Stephen A. Smith revives Watson’s controversial past
During the harsh criticism, Stephen A. Smith made a clear reference to the 11-game suspension and $5 million fine that Watson received in 2022 for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy .
According to NFL.com : “Watson has reached confidential settlements with 23 of the 24 women who filed civil lawsuits against him alleging he committed sexual misconduct during massage therapy sessions,” the NFL.com staff wrote. “Watson has previously denied any wrongdoing and maintained any sex with the women was consensual. Two grand juries in Texas declined to indict Watson on criminal complaints filed by 10 women.”
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Smith left a clear message on the matter without directly referencing the scandal the player was involved in.
“I’m gonna tell you how you just made it worse,” Smith said. “Awful is one thing. Stupid is another. I’m not calling you stupid, Deshaun Watson. Wouldn’t disrespect you like that, bro. I’m calling your actions stupid.
“You’re complaining about people talking about you playing football. Haven’t you done other things that people could be talking about? … You should embrace every football conversation.”
In the 34-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars , Watson completed 16 of 22 passes for 205 yards , with one touchdown and one interception—a performance that once again raised doubts about his future as the starter.
For his part, Browns coach Todd Monken avoided confirming that Watson is playing to keep his job heading into Week 3 , though he reiterated his confidence in the quarterback.
