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If, it seems, quarterback Deshaun Watson never plays for the Texans again, and it appears that the Texans do not negotiate Watson, the scenario will be set for resistance. Different figures emerged regarding the monetary losses that Watson would incur. In the following, we will try to identify the full scope of the financial consequences if Watson exercises his right under the CBA not to play in 2021.
First, if the off-season of 2021 has a mandatory mini-field and if Watson omits it, he will be subject to a $ 93,085 fine.
Second, if Watson skips the training camp, he will be fined $ 50,000 a day. With 40 days at camp and six mandatory days off, Watson would miss 34 days, with a total fine of $ 1.7 million.
Third, he would be fined a regular season game check for every preseason game he misses. With a base salary of $ 10.54 million, that’s $ 620,000 per game. If, as expected, the 2021 season has three preseason games, he will lose another $ 1.86 million.
Thus, for the off-season, training camp and pre-season, Watson would incur fines of $ 3.653 million if he did not attend.
If Watson skips the season – and if the NFL organizes 17 games – he will lose another $ 11.16 million in base salary.
In addition, skipping the season would allow Texans to recover Watson’s signature bonus allocation for 2021. That’s $ 5.4 million in cash that he would have to return.
So, if my math is correct (and rarely is), ignoring 2021 would generate a total financial loss of $ 20.213 million.
Ignoring the entire year would also undermine Watson’s contract. If, then, he returns in 2022, his base salary would remain at $ 10.54 million (based on 16 games). He currently has a base salary of $ 35 million in 2,022 (based on 16 games). That salary would change to 2023, and Watson would earn more than $ 24 million less in 2022 than he is currently earning.
Many believe that Watson does not care about the money lost. Ultimately, it is your decision. According to the CBA, he has the absolute right to skip the season, subject to the various fines and confiscations described above.
Time will tell if that will happen. The Texans seem determined to reject all offers and wait for Watson to leave. If the team blinks later, it probably won’t get what it could get if it tries to bring as many teams to the table now and find the best possible compensation package.