HOUSTON – Texas quarterback Deshaun Watson on Monday asked fans who planned a protest on his behalf to cancel the event “for the sake of public safety”.
“Although I am humiliated, I ask that whoever is organizing the march cancel for the sake of public safety,” Watson said in a tweet. “Covid is spreading at a high rate and I don’t want any fans to be unnecessarily exposed to infection.”
I heard that there is a march planned on my behalf in Houston today. Although I feel humble, I ask that whoever is organizing the march cancel it for the sake of public safety. Covid is spreading at a high rate, and I don’t want any fans to needlessly expose themselves to infections.
– Deshaun Watson (@deshaunwatson) January 18, 2021
The protest appears to be related to Watson’s dissatisfaction with the team after the process used to hire general manager Nick Caserio.
The event was organized on Saturday night by a Texan supporter who tweeted, “I am off duty on Monday, I am willing to protest in front of the NRG. If we have enough people to do these things, changes can happen.”
The event, initially marketed as a protest, but later changed to a “rally”, was planned for Monday at 11 am local time. The plan was for Texan fans to eat at Lefty’s, the cheesesteak franchise that Watson owns as a minority owner, and then walk eight hundred meters to NRG Stadium for a “peaceful protest.”