How much of a hit did Deshaun Watson’s net worth take with 11-game NFL suspension?

After serving an 11-game suspension for alleged sexual misconduct, Deshaun Watson is getting closer to returning to the NFL. While much of the focus has remained on what he will do on the field, his off-field image has taken a beating as a result of the accusations. The league also did not look good because the amount of time he was suspended was less than other players who had less egregious offenses. Calvin Ridley, for example, lost an entire season (six games more than Watson) last year after placing parlays on NFL games.

To counter this, the league will highlight Deshaun Watson's net worth loss as significant. He was fined $5 million, the highest amount ever levied by the league. He will also lose his pay for the 11 games he was suspended for. This totals $632,500. That sum appears paltry for a franchise quarterback acquired via trade by the Cleveland Browns.

To protect Deshaun Watson, they gave him a $230 million fully guaranteed contract, the largest in NFL history. At the same time, they set his base salary for 2022 low, knowing he might miss this season, so any pay loss is minimal.

Hence, his net worth is expected to take a hit of around $6 million in total due to the suspension. But because of a guaranteed contract with more base pay in later years, in reality, he will not be harmed by this in any true measure.

Opportunity costs for Deshaun Watson

He might miss out more because of his suspension and alleged offenses is in terms of outside endorsements that he takes or the brand value he creates for himself. However, the NFL and its fans are often forgiving of off-field transgressions in the face of on-field success. If he turns the Cleveland Browns into genuine contenders, any inertia against using him as the face of the product will fall away.

Due to the volume of allegations (now more than two dozen) and the fact that he had to settle with them and accept the fine, there is a degree of culpability to which he has been exposed. No one would want such a flawed character in their team, lest the brand's value suffer.

To give some examples, Nike dropped him in April 2021 after the volume of allegations became impossible to ignore. Reliant Energy and Beats by Dre followed. But there are enough instances of sportspeople making it back from serious allegations, like in the case of Ben Roethlisberger.

So, with everything taken into account, Deshaun Watson will not lose much in net worth because of the suspension itself. Any loss due to the fine and loss of pay will be compensated by the guaranteed deal he has in place. He will lose out on endorsements because his brand is still toxic, but this could be offset if he performs well enough on the field after his return.