Stephen A Smith blasts NFL for having a prejudiced approach to Deshaun Watson case

Deshaun Watson may be cleared of criminal charges, but the NFL hasn't stepped away from the quarterback. With a decision pending, pundits continue to give their opinions on the situation.

Speaking on First Take, Stephen A. Smith slammed the league for thinking about taking action despite the criminal justice system clearing the quarterback of all charges. Here's how he put it:

"The fact of the matter is these cases have been levied against Deshaun Watson for a long time. My position on the NFL has been very, very clear. I believe in innocence until proven guilty and all of this other stuff. But beyond all of that, I take it to another level."

He continued, attacking the NFL's supposed arrogance in trying to do better than the government:

"The NFL has suspended people for impugning the integrity of the league. They've suspended people they've exiled them from their ability to play football, because of accusations and allegations. When you say you're 'investigating,' what it means to me is you go find out something that law enforcement officials don't know."

He wrapped up his point by outlining where the crux of the problem lies:

"You're going to be law enforcement. Now, you're going to bring the heavy hand of the law down upon one of your players when the judicial system didn't do so. That's where I have a problem."

Deshaun Watson's rocky 2020s

Houston Texans v Chicago Bears

While Tom Brady has taken much of the headlines for his career twists, many would agree that Deshaun Watson serves as a close second. Heading into 2020, the quarterback's career was on an upward trajectory. Since being drafted in 2017, Watson had thrown for roughly 70 touchdowns and 39 interceptions before 2020.

He also made the playoffs twice and won a playoff game. Many expected the Houston Texans to make a deep playoff push in 2020 on the back of an even better season from the quarterback. They got one of the two. Despite the quarterback's 33 touchdowns and seven interceptions, the team went 4-12.

Soon after the conclusion of the season, news broke that Watson was accused of sexual harassment by 22 women. The lawsuit factored into him missing the entirety of the 2021 season. After the 2021 season, criminal charges were dropped, and the quarterback was free to land with a new team. The Texans traded Watson to the Cleveland Browns.

Not only did they trade for him, the Browns gave him a huge 230 million dollar extension, all guaranteed. It is thelargest guaranteed contract in NFL history.

With the quarterback now aiming to start the 2022 season on time, the last big obstacle will be avoiding a suspension. The NFL's investigation into the matter is nearing its conclusion and they will soon be reaching a decision on the quarterback's future.

It will be interesting to see what happens next in this saga.