Deshaun Watson appeared to be caught in a lie about the Bears, but there's an explanation
Jordan Heck 9 hrs ago

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/deshaun-watson-appeared-to-be-caught-in-a-lie-about-the-bears-but-theres-an-explanation/ar-BB13QmXS?li=BBnbfcL 

Deshaun Watson caused a stir Friday night on Twitter when he engaged in a debate about the 2017 NFL Draft.

a man wearing a helmet© Provided by Sporting News
The conversation started with reporter John Feinstein relaying a chat he had with former NFL quarterback and current Redskins executive Doug Williams. They discussed Mitch Trubisky going No. 2 overall in that draft, ahead of guys like Watson and Patrick Mahomes. According to Williams, if Mahomes and Watson were white, they would have been drafted ahead of Trubisky.


John Feinstein
✔
@JFeinsteinBooks
Bears declining 5th yr. option on Mitchell Trubisky, QB they chose AHEAD of Patrick Mahomes AND DeShaun Watson. I asked Doug Williams where Mahomes and Watson would have gone if they'd been white: "Ahead of Trubisky," he said. "Ahead of No. 2" I said. "Absolutely," he answered.

2,037
9:57 AM - May 3, 2020
Twitter Ads info and privacy
937 people are talking about this
MORE: How the NFL season will play out, according to "Madden"

Fox Sports' Doug Gottlieb wasn't buying it and claimed race "wasn't a factor."

Watson quote-tweeted Gottlieb and said the Bears never talked to him prior to the draft.


Deshaun Watson
✔
@deshaunwatson
https://twitter.com/GottliebShow/status/1258801039450337281  …

Doug Gottlieb
✔
@GottliebShow
https://twitter.com/jfeinsteinbooks/status/1256945907465158657  …

79.7K
8:06 PM - May 8, 2020
Twitter Ads info and privacy
14.9K people are talking about this
Twitter thought this was ridiculous considering Chicago needed a quarterback that year (and took one), and Watson was clearly one of the best options available. So after some research, it was discovered Watson at one point said he had talked to the Bears.

During a 2017 interview with "The Rich Eisen Show," Watson listed off teams that had contacted him. That list included the Chiefs, Browns, Jaguars, 49ers, Cardinals, Texans, Jets, Bills, Ravens and Bears.


Rich Eisen Show
✔
@RichEisenShow
From our vault: We love @deshaunwatson but it does appear he did talk to the @ChicagoBears at least once before the 2017 #NFLDraft ⬇️

Embedded video
878
11:05 PM - May 8, 2020
Twitter Ads info and privacy
264 people are talking about this
Watson appeared to be caught in a lie, but a tweet from Quincy Avery may help explain his interview with Eisen. Avery is Watson's private quarterback coach, and the two share a close connection that dates back to when the QB was in high school. The Houston Chronicle describes their bond as a "big-brother-little brother relationship."

Avery responded directly to the video Eisen tweeted. The tweet can also be viewed in Watson's likes on Twitter.


Rich Eisen Show
✔
@RichEisenShow
· 20h
From our vault: We love @deshaunwatson but it does appear he did talk to the @ChicagoBears at least once before the 2017 #NFLDraft ⬇️

Embedded video

quincy_avery
✔
@Quincy_Avery
Not exactly. Explain it to you same way I did for Doug. Every year, players are instructed by their agent to leverage the media so that teams feel that there is more competition in the market place than there actually is.

86
11:18 PM - May 8, 2020
Twitter Ads info and privacy
28 people are talking about this
In a separate response to ESPN's Bill Barnwell, Avery clarified that the conversation with the Bears "didn't happen." He points out why it would make sense for Watson to say it did at the time (to help improve his draft stock) and why he feels confident to say what really happened now (he's a top-tier quarterback with nothing to hide).


Bill Barnwell
✔
@billbarnwell
· 20h
Replying to @Quincy_Avery
I’m not saying it did or did not happen, but Deshaun said he did in 2017 in that clip and said he didn’t today. I can’t confirm one way or another obviously, so probably best for me to stay out of the conversation


quincy_avery
✔
@Quincy_Avery
I'm just saying it didn't. It's clear why he would say it happened then. No reason to not be truthful now. Also was there through the process and it didn't happen.

13
11:22 PM - May 8, 2020
Twitter Ads info and privacy
See quincy_avery's other Tweets
The rest is history. Chicago declined Trubisky's fifth-year option while Watson is reportedly in talks for a contract extension with the Texans that would make him one of the highest-paid players in the league.

---

Did you know that in 1989 that the Packers picked Tony Manderich over Barry Sanders because Manderich was white?

Yup.....that statement I made is just as stupid as saying the Bears chose Trubisky over others because of skin color.
Some people will use the “race card” every chance they get.
Every year guys get passed over, and end up being better then those chosen before them. No player is a sure thing, and hindsight makes everyone look like a genius.
Any NFL executive that would choose ANY player because of their skin color is an idiot.
Same thing when you are picking a coach. I think forcing a team to interview black coaches is racism. To me that might make someone NOT hire somebody just because of them being forced. To me, if a black coach is the best candidate, you’d be an idiot NOT to hire them.
I would hire the best person for the job, period. Regardless of how light or dark their skin is.

---

Cheesey Chimed Although I largely agree with your comments, I think there is still a slight element of racism, although sports has done more to eradicate racism than any other single factor IMO. I think egos and attitude prevent guys of all races getting drafted.

I would like to think that with so many great QB's like Watson, Jackson, and Mahommes, that would be a thing of the past.

---

There IS racism. And forcing someone to pick a person because of the color of their skin just keeps racism alive.
If a NFL GM passes up a possible great player because the GM is a racist, how long will he keep his job?

And it seems there are many people that want to keep racism alive. They LIVE to keep racism alive. Think of the only time you see Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson.
They come out of the woodwork to make sure that racism stays alive.

---