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If quarterback Deshaun Watson, as it turns out, will never play for the Texans again, and if it turns out, the Texans will not trade with Watson, the scene will be prepared. Various numbers have emerged about the monetary losses Watson would incur. Following this, we will try to identify the full extent of the financial consequences if Watson exercises his right under the CBA not to play in 2021.
First, if there is a mandatory mini-camp in the off-season 2021 and if Watson skips it, he will be fined $ 93,085.
Second, if Watson skips training camp, he will be fined $ 50,000 a day. With 40 days in camp and six mandatory holidays, those are 34 days that Watson would miss, with a total fine of $ 1.7 million.
Third, he would receive the fine of the amount of a regular season for every preseason game he misses. At 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.
For the off-season, training camp and preseason, Watson would face $ 3.653 million in fines if he did not show up.
If Watson then skips the season – and if the NFL plays 17 games – he will lose another $ 11.16 million in base salary.
If the season is skipped, on top of that, the Texans could recoup Watson’s award-winning 2021 award. That’s $ 5.4 million in money he should have given back.
So if my math is correct (and it rarely is), the 2021 skip would result in a total financial loss of $ 20,213 million.
Skipping the full year will also hamper Watson’s contract. If he returns in 2022, his base salary will remain at $ 10.54 million (based on 16 games). He currently has a 2022 base salary of $ 35 million (based on 16 games). The salary would move to 2023, and Watson would earn more than $ 24 million less in 2022 than he would currently earn.
Many believe that Watson does not care about the money lost. Ultimately, it’s his decision. Under the CBA, he has the absolute right to skip the season, subject to the various fines and forfeitures set forth above.
Time will tell. The Texans apparently intend to reject all offers and wait out Watson. If the team cuts later, the teams are unlikely to get what they can get if they try to bring maximum teams to the table and put together the best possible compensation package.