Tim Benz: If NFL teams have concerns over public relations fallout from acquiring Deshaun Watson, they aren't showing any

The Steelers surfaced as a rumored trade destination for Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson last week. A frequent and immediate response from many who cover the team or root for it was that the franchise couldn’t make such a deal “because it would be a public relations nightmare.”

The Steelers front office may have felt the same way since it is signing Mitch Trubisky as a new quarterback for the club instead and has stayed out of the bidding process for Watson that has swirled for the last few days.

Such a reaction would be understandable. After all, even though Watson avoided indictment by a grand jury on criminal charges last week, he is still facing 22 civil charges for inappropriate physical conduct during massage therapy sessions. ProFootballTalk reports that Watson faced questions in two of the cases Tuesday. The former Pro Bowler didn’t play last year in the wake of the allegations and previous trade demands.

Yet, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the Indianapolis Colts and the Carolina Panthers met with Watson Monday in Houston. The Cleveland Browns were said to have had a contingent there Tuesday. And the Falcons are hoping to meet with Watson Wednesday.

From @NFLTotalAccess: Here is where it all stands with Deshaun Watson. pic.twitter.com/NzJOfTYHJP

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 16, 2022

All of these meetings appear to be occurring quite publicly. The franchises don’t appear to be hiding their interest or denying it. And — as stated by Rapoport — the Texans’ asking price to facilitate a trade for Watson starts with a minimum of three first-round picks.

The internet is filled with discussion of who may get Watson and what they may give up in return. What is barely noticeable, though, is any undercurrent of outrage or derision from fan bases in those cities, lashing out at their teams for even considering such a move.

Nor was there an impassioned movement here in Pittsburgh last week.

Personally, I had lots of Steelers fans email and tweet me with concerns over what the draft pick compensation would need to be for the Texans. I saw many express fear over how long an independent league suspension might be. And I had lots of people reference the perceived “negative P.R. backlash.”

But very few expressed those moral concerns themselves. I had a minimal amount of people voicing specific complaints about acquiring Watson based strictly on the nature of allegations he is facing.

I’m starting to wonder if the bubbling of concern about bringing Watson onto an NFL team has been misplaced for a year.

By extension, now that Watson appears to be in the clear from any imminent criminal charges, I’m also beginning to wonder if the NFL suspension is going to be all that severe. Especially if outcry over all these teams willing to pay a king’s ransom to get Watson has been few and far between.

In fact, Tony Buzbee, the attorney for the 22 women who have filed suit against Watson, told The Athletic that no NFL teams have reached out directly to him or to his clients to discuss Watson. Instead, he says NFL organizations are only seeking information from Watson’s legal team and “information from law enforcement in Houston related to the criminal investigation.”

That hardly seems like much diligence or concern given to both sides of the story. More so, it just seems like teams are covering the bases legally and perhaps mining for details to determine what a possible NFL suspension could look like.

In 2010, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was suspended six games, with an eventual reduction to four, in the wake of a second allegation of sexual misconduct. Neither incident resulted in any criminal charges.

After some very tumultuous times in the public eye for Roethlisberger during the suspension and its immediate aftermath, it wasn’t long before his image was largely rehabbed. As a result, he spent the next 12 seasons rewriting the Steelers record book, going to another Super Bowl the same year as the suspension, and retiring with the pomp and circumstance reserved for only the most adored Pittsburgh athletes.

So if the Steelers had pursued Watson, would the franchise’s history of standing by Roethlisberger have made it any harder — or easier — to absorb what public admonishing it would have gotten for pursuing Watson? Would there have been any at all?

My guess is whatever criticism the franchise would’ve received would have quickly faded as people remembered Roethlisberger’s circumstances. Or the fact that the team employed Michael Vick after he had gone to prison in the wake of his conviction of crimes associated with a dogfighting ring. Or the fact that the team stood by James Harrison in the wake of a domestic violence charges that were eventually dropped.

Sure, all three players had to endure public scrutiny, and the team took some passing heat from the media and special interest groups. But it’s not like the franchise suffered. It took a pandemic and a five-year streak without a playoff win before the Steelers saw any significant erosion in attendance or television ratings.

I’d bet whichever club lands Watson — or if he stays with the Texans — will endure equally fleeting scorn.

That begs the question of if the bidding for Watson’s services will go up even more. Will more teams get involved? Perhaps even those who just want to upgrade a quarterback, instead of desperately needing one?

In other words, more teams like the Browns who appear willing to move on from Baker Mayfield for even the chance of entering the Watson sweepstakes?

It also makes you wonder if the Steelers and any other team that has stayed away from him has done so based solely on the football-related costs of compensation for getting him, as opposed to the currency of public relations.

Considering how multiple teams across the league are falling all over themselves to bring him on board, football matters appear to be the only potential concern.