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While Deshaun Watson doesn't play for the Houston Texans anymore, the franchise has found themselves in hot water for a mishap when he was still with the team. The Texans' Watson miscue will cost them both financially and in the 2023 NFL Draft.
The Texans have been stripped of a 2023 fifth-round draft pick and fined $175,000 by the NFL, via ESPN's Adam Schefter. Houston paid Watson $26,777 to train at an outside facility during the CO-VID19 pandemic. The league has deemed that a salary cap violation, leading to the punishments levied against Houston.
The NFL's Collective Bargaining Agreement call for teams to report all compensations and/or benefits given to their plays. The Texans believe it was just an accounting error on their part. Houston admitted to paying for Watson's outside training but claimed they weren't trying to break any league rules, via DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN.
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“The Club has fully cooperated with the League in its investigation of these matters and maintains that it had no intention to circumvent any salary cap rules or gain any sort of competitive advantage,” the Texans' statement read. “While we disagree with the League's ruling, we will accepted the imposed discipline and move forward.”
Deshaun Watson spent the first four seasons of his career with the Texans, making three Pro Bowls. However, after a trade request and Watson's off-field controversies, the QB was shipped to the Cleveland Browns for a boatload of picks.
The Texans believe this was all a misunderstanding and claim to not have been trying to break salary cap rules. Regardless, Houston's Watson decision will cost them a draft pick and cash as they look to continue their rebuild this offseason.
