When Deshaun Watson settled his case with the NFL on Thursday, not only did he agree to accept an 11-game suspension, but the Browns quarterback also agreed to pay the largest player fine in NFL history.
As part of the settlement, Watson will have to pay a fine of $5 million. Not only is it the most money that any player has ever been fined, but it's also the second-largest overall fine in NFL history. To put the fine in perspective, no player had ever even been fined $1 million before Watson came along.
Watson's fine will actually be used for a good cause with all of it going to help create a fund that will "support the work of non-profit organizations across the country that educate young people on healthy relationships, promote education and prevention of sexual misconduct and assault, support survivors, and related causes." The NFL and the Browns will also both be chipping in $1 million to bring the total contribution to $7 million.
If you're wondering how Watson's fine stacks up against the biggest monetary punishments in NFL history, here's a look at the 10 biggest fines that the league has ever handed out.
1. Washington: $10 million. After an investigation that included more than 150 interviews, the NFL ruled that the Football Team had created a hostile workplace culture that fostered an unprofessional workplace environment, especially for women. The team's record-setting fine money will be used for a good cause: The NFL has said that the $10 million will be used to support organizations committed to character education, anti-bullying and healthy relationships.
2. Deshaun Watson: $5 million. Watson was fined for violating the league's personal conduct policy. Sue Robinson, the jointly appointed disciplinary officer, wrote in her ruling that Watson broke the policy "by engaging in: (1) sexual assault; (2) conduct that poses a genuine danger to the safety and well-being of another person; and (3) conduct that undermines or puts at risk the integrity of the NFL."
3. Broncos: $1.918 million. This was actually two punishments, but they were both for the same thing. In 2001, Denver was fined $968,000 for trying to circumvent the salary cap in their contracts with John Elway and Terrell Davis between 1996 and 1998. The Broncos also got hit with a $950,000 fine in 2004 to bring the total to nearly $2 million.
T-4. Patriots: $1 million. The Patriots were hit with a monstrous fine in May 2015 after the NFL completed its Deflategate investigation. Not only was the team docked $1 million, but it also had to forfeit a draft pick.
T-4. Eddie DeBartolo Jr: $1 million. Back in 1999, the former 49ers owner was fined $1 million for committing conduct detrimental to the NFL. The fine came after DeBartolo pleaded guilty to one felony charge for the part he played in a Louisiana gambling scandal.
6. Raiders: $800,000. The Raiders violated COVID protocols so often during the 2020 season that they ended up being fined a total of $800,000.
7. Jamal Lewis: $760,000. Less than 12 months after leading the league in rushing in 2003 with a 2,000-yard season, Lewis was hit with a monstrous fine following a court case where he pleaded guilty to federal drug charges.
8. Saints: $700,000. Like the Raiders, the Saints were hit with some major COVID fines in 2020 and those fines ended up totaling $700,000.
T-9. Saints: $500,000. Following the Bountygate scandal in 2012, not only did Sean Payton get suspended for a year, but the Saints were also hit with a $500,000 fine.
T-9. Bill Belichick: $500,000. After the NFL completed its Spygate investigation in 2007, the league ended up fining the Patriots coach a total of $500,000, which to this day still represents the largest fine ever given to a head coach (Payton didn't get paid while he was suspended in 2012, so he lost out on the most money even though that wasn't technically a fine).
T-9. Jim Irsay: $500,000. Irsay was hit with a half-million fine after pleading guilty to a DWI in 2014. The Colts owner was also suspended for six games.
