Browns owner Jimmy Haslam: ‘We believe Deshaun Watson deserves a second chance’

Now that there is a final resolution on the Deshaun Watson suspension situation, Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam fielded questions in a press conference at the team’s headquarters. Haslam vehemently defended the team’s decision to trade for Watson despite the sexual misconduct allegations and the resulting 11-game suspension settlement between the league and the NFLPA.

“I think in this country and hopefully in the world, people deserve second chances,” Haslam stated with his wife and co-owner Dee looking on. “I really think that.”

Then Haslam turned more broadly and altruistically with his statement.

“And I struggle a little bit — is he (Watson) never supposed to play again? Is he never supposed to be part of society? Does he get no chance to rehabilitate himself?

That’s what we’re going to do. And you can say, ‘well that’s because he’s a star quarterback.’ Well of course! But if he was Joe Smith he wouldn’t be on the headlines every day. We think that people deserve a second chance. We gave Kareem Hunt a second chance, okay? And that’s worked out pretty well.

We’re hoping this will work out and we have a strong belief that it will. That doesn’t mean we don’t have empathy for people affected, and we will continue to do so. But we strongly believe — strongly believe — people deserve a second chance. We believe Deshaun Watson deserves a second chance.”

Hunt was signed in 2019 after a domestic violence incident at a Cleveland hotel while the running back and Cleveland-area native was a member of the Kansas City Chiefs. Hunt assaulted a woman in a hallway in an incident that was captured on video. The Chiefs quickly severed ties with Hunt, who was the NFL’s leading rusher as a rookie in 2017. Hunt has effectively stayed out of trouble since joining the Browns.

Story originally appeared on Browns Wire