Deshaun Watson, one of the best quarterbacks in the NFl, is only 25 and his career may already be over. Almost off his rookie contract, Watson had become unhappy with his situation in Houston, and requested a trade and refused to play for Houston. But he has lost all his leeway, as in the past few months Watson has had 22 sexual assault cases filed against him, all in the same nature, putting a massage therapist in an uncomfortable position.

In the past with cases like this the man has usually received little to know reprimand from the league but has faced some penalty in the face of the law. The harshest the league has ever come down on a player sexually or physically assaulting a woman was when video came out of Ray Rice beating his wife back in 2014, resulting in his indefinite ban from the league. This was mostly a knee-jerk reaction to avoid criticism on what was originally a two game suspension but was the only time the NFL has truly come down in a just way on one of its many morally corrupt players. With Deshaun Watson, however, his incredible talent may not be enough to overcome this damning of evidence. 

The problem with Watson’s cases against him is that they are all virtually the same, and there are usually at least twice as many victims then those that come forward. Coming forward about sexual assault is a hard and embarrassing thing to do, and usually a serial assualter like Watson has assaulted at least more than 22 women. While not all of these cases may be valid, very rarely are all cases in moments like these, there is at least one or more that is true, and that is one too many. Watson, according to his accusers, has gone countless times to the same massage parlor, let down his pants and asked women to perform sexual actions in a place that was uncomfortable and horrific for the women. 

When I was younger, I always rushed to defend the people I favored when trials were brought against them. My blind adoration for players and the league caused me to be angered and misunderstand what Colin Kaepernick was kneeling for when took a stand by falling down in 2016, and I didn’t listen to the facts and only to my feelings. I love Deshaun Watson as a player, he is fantastic and a pure joy to watch. But when you do something like this, something so unforgivable, it shakes how much you enjoy about the player, and the game he displays on the field. It is important to remember that not all our heroes are who we make them out to be, and that knowing the difference between the talent on the field and the character off of it is vital in determining how you and I feel about a player. I will no longer be rooting for any team that signs Watson, that’s for sure. He is beyond redemption for me.