“He did everything he had to do” - NFL analyst hopes Deshaun Watson plays in 2022

Deshaun Watson has taken heat from just about every media outlet imaginable over the last roughly 18 months. However, one media member is rooting for the quarterback to regain his old life on the field. Former NFL player and current NFL analyst LeSean McCoy spoke on the I Am Athlete Tonight Podcast. He proclaimed that he felt the quarterback had done all he needed to do.

He also went after the league for running their own investigation separate from the police. Here's how he put both opinions in response to being asked if the quarterback is going to see the field this season:

"I don't know the answer, but I hope he does and I'll tell you why. So legally, he did everything he had to do to clear his name, right? And now it's like, it looks [only civil suits]... Why [is the NFL] trying to be the police?"

He continued to question the NFL's need for their own investigation:

"If the police did all their due diligence, and the police are doing everything they need to do as far as to see if this guy assaulting women, essentially harassing them, whatever it may be."

He went on, claiming the NFL's investigation is pointlessly redundant:

"It's like if they're doing that, and they clear him, why is the NFL trying to play like cops? I think that the cops, the feds, they're the best in the world at finding out if guys are guilty or not guilty, but I'm just saying they have the best resources to find out what's going on."

Lastly, he claimed that the NFL is unique in their decision to routinely carry out additional investigations:

"The NBA doesn't do this. 'Well, oh, well, he's cleared by the law, but we're going to do our own law and investigation."

Deshaun Watson's legal troubles

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Since the 2020 NFL season, Deshaun Watson has been in one critical fight after the other. In 2020, he did his best to help elevate a Houston Texans team that finished 4-12. Just a few months later, he was fighting for his freedom after 26 women accused him of sexual misconduct.

After Watson's criminal trials ended in early 2022, the quarterback next found himself fighting for his money in civil court. After settling the majority of the cases, he finds himself fighting to get on the football field this season. Between escaping jail time and needing to settle most of his civil cases, the quarterback is essentially 1-1 in the scandal.

With the NFL seemingly nearing a decision on the quarterback's punishment, the scoreboard will see another change. Will Deshaun Watson emerge 2-1 or 1-2? Even if he is eligible to play many wonder if the quarterback's lost 2021 season will leave him rusty when he eventually returns to the field. Either way, the wait for answers continues.