That is, barring a ruling on the NFLs appeal before then. In a statement, Hardin alleged Buzbee was impeding efforts to investigate the accusations by not releasing names of accusers to Watsons legal team, which at this point was defending the quarterback against 16 civil lawsuits. A. The Panthers are expected to be involved in trade talks as well. vs: TEN. Instagram / @jillyanais. Follow Aaron on Twitter @aaronjreiss. In filings submitted Thursday and in hearings Friday, Hardin cited two Texas Rules of Civil Procedure that prohibit using a pseudonym to file a civil lawsuit. In September 2020, he signed a four-year contract extension with the Houston Texans worth nearly $111 million guaranteed. [122] His season was, by all major statistical measures, the best in franchise history, leading in passing touchdowns, passing yards and passer rating. The attorney representing those 22 women, Tony Buzbee, confirmed to The Athletic on Aug. 13 that 10 of them had met with NFL investigators and that an 11th was scheduled to do so. However, Fuller allowed Watson to wear the number. 2:16; See All. Head coach David Culley said Tuesday that Watson is not injured and is participating in team meetings. More importantly, Peoples-Jones has caught two of the five touchdown passes Watson has . On the same day that 20 women identified themselves as plaintiffs in suits accusing Deshaun Watson of sexual misconduct and sexual assault, another woman filed a civil lawsuit against the Texans quarterback, making similar accusations and attaching her name to the complaint. Watson's last game played was in January, 2021, in which he totaled 365 yards, three touchdowns and one interception for Houston against . Now we will learn the identity of at least one accuser. Until yesterday, I did not know that they were also apparently and I have no reason to doubt this investigating Mr. Buzbees allegations, Hardin said. When we get to that point, we will certainly make a decision.. After the Panthers benched Sam Darnold early in the fourth quarter of a 25-3 loss to the Giants, sources say they expect the Panthers to be involved in the Watson conversation leading to the trade deadline, which is Nov. 2. [86] Watson faced the most dropbacks under pressure (281) and tied for the fifth-most times sacked in a single season with 62. We take accusations of this nature very seriously.. In some of these massages theres going to be no question weve never run from it our first announcement has always been about consent, that on some occasions some active sexual activity would have taken place, Hardin said. According to Hardin, the FBI contacted his office about the matter in April, after which point Watson made himself available to investigators. . Watson played in the Browns-Jaguars game Friday night, which marked his first appearance in an NFL game since the end of the 2020 season. He's dealing with a groin injury right now. According to the report, Watson asked several of the therapists to sign an N.D.A. The two sides agreed to a settlement before former New Jersey attorney general Peter C. Harvey, who was overseeing the appeals process, made a final decision. Three days after holding a news conference in his downtown Houston office, Buzbee filed seven more lawsuits against Watson, bringing the total cases to 14. Buzbee said in an Instagram post he was filing suit against Watson for alleged misconduct against women but offered minimal details. Houston attorney Tony Buzbee represented the plaintiffs in all previous lawsuits against Watson, all but one of which has been settled. [2][3], In 2021, Watson was sued by more than two dozen female massage therapists for sexual harassment and sexual assault. A second grand jury declined to file charges againstWatson, the Brazoria County district attorneys office confirmed. In sexual assault cases, state law only offers minors an exception to these rules. That suspension, which was originally set at six games, was extended to 11 games through a settlement between Watson and the league. One requires plaintiffs to state their names if they are known. Deshaun is here, Culley said. Rob Maaddi and Tom Withers AP. The remaining plaintiffs voluntarily identified themselves including one woman who filed a new suit, the 23rd against Watson after those judges rulings. That still isnt close to happening, so a trade was never likely today before the deadline. Hardin confirmed that the FBI is investigating the allegations against Watson, as Buzbee first revealed in an interview with the website League Of Justice on Tuesday. NFL interviews 10 plaintiffs accusing Watson of sexual assault, The NFL has increased Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watsons suspension to 11 games, filed a lawsuit against the Houston Texans alleging negligence from the team, Settlements have been reached in 20 of 24 civil lawsuits, Speaking to reporters for the first time since March 26, 66 massage therapists during a 17-month period, according to a report from the New York Times, Watson is the subject of a 24th active civil lawsuit, Watson is the subject of a 23rd active civil suit accusing him of sexual assault and sexual misconduct, is meeting to decide if charges will be filed against Watson, 22 active civil suits accusing him of sexual assault and sexual misconduct, Watson was cleared by a grand jury of criminal charges related to the sexual misconduct allegations, said at the NFL owners meetings on Tuesday, Panthers are expected to be involved in trade talks as well, expected to be involved in trade talks for Watson, The Texans continue to engage in trade conversations regarding Watson, who is facing 22 civil lawsuits accusing him of sexual misconduct and sexual assault, 10 of them had met with NFL investigators, Hardins office released statements from 18 massage therapists, Unlike a formal law enforcement investigation, Friel and her team do not have subpoena power. Prior to and during the hearings, Watsons attorney, Rusty Hardin, said his team had been unable to investigate allegations against Watson because opposing counsel Tony Buzbee was withholding the womens identities. [141], The next day, another massage therapist represented by Buzbee claimed that Watson had met her at the Houstonian Hotel in August 2020 and completely undressed and refused to cover up, directing her to massage his anus and penis and making a movement that caused her to touch his penis. If Watson throws every pass he throws into the dirt in 2023 and 2024, he'll still be so expensive to cut that he'll be guaranteed a roster spot in 2025 - cutting him before the 2025 season would be . Listen to what Brady Quinn, Lavar Arrington, and Jonas Knox have to say about the Deshaun Watson situation that . On Thursday, Hardin filed a motion requesting the court mandate one of the plaintiffs to identify herself. We will be given the opportunity to tell our side, and we will get an even-handed hearing.. He sat out all last season with the Houston Texans amid his trade request and off-field issues. [139] In Week 13, Watson started against his former team, the Houston Texans. During his high-school career, Watson had worn #4, but at Clemson, that number had been retired after quarterback Steve Fuller graduated. [104] He finished the game with 247 passing yards and a touchdown along with 55 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown. The Last Time Lamar Jackson and Deshaun Watson Faced Off on the Football Field In October 2016, Lamar Jackson and Louisville traveled to Clemson, S.C. to take on Deshaun Watson and the. The settlements have no impact on the collectively bargained disciplinary process, the NFL said in a statement. The suit accuses Watson of groping Smith, exposing himself and repeatedly making sexually suggestive comments. The suit also claims that Watson later reached out to the massage therapist and apologized for his actions. January 12, 2020 this is the last time Watson played in front of a stadium full of fans. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. [160], Watson is a Christian and converted to the Southern Baptist Convention after moving to Houston to play for the Texans. Harvey. [135] The appeal was reviewed by former New Jersey Attorney General Peter C. He also rushed for 43 yards and a touchdown. [21][22] As a result of the injury, he missed games against Boston College, Syracuse and Wake Forest. Watsons first game back is set to be against his former team, the Houston Texans, on Dec. 4. That said, he has not deleted any messages since March 15, the day before the first lawsuit was filed. Who . As the number of lawsuits accusing Watson of sexual assault and misconduct increased to 21, Hardins office released statements from 18 massage therapists who say the accusations are inconsistent with their experiences. The lawsuits of Ashley Solis, who was the first woman to file suit against Watson, and three others will continue, Buzbee said. Watsons legal team, led by lawyer Rusty Hardin, cites friends and family members of the plaintiffs, as well as security guards at various spas, in its claims. 2. In a statement that remains his only public comment on the matter, Watson said he had yet to see a complaint but denied ever treating a woman with anything other than the utmost respect., Watson also called Buzbee, who lost a self-funded bid for mayor, a publicity-seeking plaintiffs lawyer.. [114][115] In Week 12, a 4125 win over the Detroit Lions, Watson went 17-of-25 for 318 yards and four passing touchdowns. Unlike a formal law enforcement investigation, Friel and her team do not have subpoena power, cannot compel the accusers or witnesses to cooperate, and may not have access to police and legal documents. Cleveland Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam distributed the following statement in the wake of their organizations trade for Deshaun Watson: Cleveland Browns (@Browns) March 20, 2022. The suit contains claims, which were first made public in an article from the New York Times, that Watson asked several of the therapists to sign a non-disclosure agreement he received from a Texans staff member and that the team indirectly arranged for some of the massages to happen at The Houstonian Hotel by securing a membership for the quarterback. [149][150] On April 2, the HPD announced an investigation of Watson after a complainant filed an official report. Hardin said Watson, who is facing 22 civil lawsuits accusing him of sexual misconduct and sexual assault, has yet to meet NFL investigators because the league does not want to interfere in current criminal investigations. He made his regular season debut for the Browns in Week 13 against the Texans, his former team. [125] The Texans were not willing to negotiate with other teams regarding trade offers, leading to a standoff with Watson until the emergence of sexual-harassment allegations. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. Watson reported to Texans training camp on July 25 and participated in practice on July 28, but is still requesting a trade. [129][130] As part of the trade, Watson signed a new, fully guaranteed, five-year, $230 million deal with the Browns, making it the largest contract and most guaranteed money in NFL history. Mr. Watson, 26,sat out the 2021 season while collecting his full salary and waiting for the Texans to trade him. [126] Watson was named to the Texans' 53-man roster to start the season along with free-agent signing Tyrod Taylor and rookie Davis Mills. The proposal was handed down by the NFL and NFL Players. [136][137], On August 18, 2022, after the NFL and the NFLPA reached a settlement, Watson was suspended for the first 11 games of the 2022 regular season and was fined $5 million. Im not going into what it is, the nature, the numbers or with whom. After Watson allegedly "forced Plaintiff's hand onto his penis" during the massage, he allegedly told her, "I will not have you sign an NDA, but don't ever talk about this." Watson threw for 405 yards and four touchdowns in the game and ran for 73 yards in the losing effort,[32] though he surpassed the 4,000-yard passing mark. Roger Goodell said Tuesday there remains no timeline for that decision. The Houston Police Department confirmed an investigation is ongoing but declined to comment on the number of complainants. Due to plaintiffs counsels repeated refusals to identify for Mr. Watsons counsel the real name of Ms. Doe, Mr. Watsons counsel cannot fully evaluate or plead his defenses to her claims.. Watson still faces 22 active civil suits accusing him of sexual assault and sexual misconduct, but the Harris County District Attorneys Offices decision not to prosecute eliminates one barrier for teams considering trading for Watson, who has not played for Houston since requesting a trade during the 2021 offseason. The three-time Pro Bowler has not played in a regular season game since 2020, sitting out all of the last season because of a trade demand from his former team the Texans as well as the . The NFL also said it is working with the Houston Police Department and ensuring that the NFLs inquiry does not interfere with their investigation.. Watson also said he regretted stating he had no regrets during his introductory news conference with the Browns in March, a comment that triggered a lot of people. But he continued to maintain hes being wrongly accused. Hardin has said it has impeded his teams effort to investigate the accusations. If the plaintiff fails to do so, the motion requests the court dismiss all claims. "[127], Despite not being officially suspended or placed on any reserve list, Watson was ruled out for every Texans game played in 2021 for "non-injury reasons/personal matter. In the divisional round against the Kansas City Chiefs, Watson threw for 388 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 37 yards and a touchdown as the Texans lost on the road 3151 after having blown a 240 second-quarter lead. [91][92] In a Week 3 2720 road victory against the Los Angeles Chargers, he threw for 351 yards and three touchdowns, including a 53-yard touchdown to tight end Jordan Akins. An additional woman agreed to have her name attached to her suit later on Friday, and another came forward earlier in the week, leaving seven anonymous accusers. The NFL announced it will appeal Deshaun Watsons six-game suspension, the punishment given by arbiter Sue L. Robinson that was announced two days earlier. He entered the game after Tom Savage was benched at halftime and played for the remainder of the game. As such, if Mr. Watson is ever to have a chance at properly defending himself, he can no longer refrain from requesting that the Court mandate that Plaintiff identify herself as required by the law.. He has denied all allegations. Buzbee said his clients would comply with the NFLs investigation into the matter to the extent we can do so given our civil court obligations.. [50], On November 8, 2016, Watson, along with three other Clemson players, Wayne Gallman, Artavis Scott and Mike Williams,[51] declared for the NFL Draft. In his news conference, Buzbee said he planned to file a minimum of 12 total cases and had talked with 10 other women about filing suit against Watson. Browns K Cade York named to All-Rookie Team (Thomas Moore) Despite some struggles, York nabs a spot on The Athletic's All-Rookie team. [119] The Athletics Jeff Howe reported it had been shaping up this way for quite some time on Watson not moving to the Dolphins. [151], On April 6, two of the 22 women who had filed lawsuits against Watson publicly identified themselves at a press conference. Importantly, only two of the 22 lawsuits allege that Mr. Watson forced any type of sexual activity an allegation Mr. Watson again vehemently denies. Watson did play in a game for the first time in 19 months last week when he got the start for Cleveland in the team's preseason opener against the Jaguars. Also Wednesday, Texas-based grocer H-E-B said it had no plans to renew an endorsement deal with Watson and Beats by Dre reportedly ended its relationship with the quarterback. In the 4234 loss, Watson finished 16-of-31 for 261 yards and five touchdown passes, tying an NFL rookie record for touchdown passes thrown in a single game. At least 10 women, including two who have not filed civil lawsuits, have filed police complaints against Watson. Eighteen of the 22 active suits accuse Watson of inappropriately touching women with his penis during massage therapy sessions. [46][47], After defeating Ohio State 310 in the CFP semifinal in the Fiesta Bowl and receiving the offensive MVP award, Clemson defeated No. At a news conference on Friday afternoon, Hardin said he has not heard from the Houston Police Department regarding any criminal complaints filed against Watson and went on to say that he doesnt know if more than one criminal complaint has been filed. Watson sat out all of last season after requesting a trade from the Texans shortly after that last game and amidst allegations of sexual misconduct during massage sessions by more than 20 women. The 24 women filed lawsuits against Watson over the course of the last 15 months, accusing him of sexual assault and sexual misconduct during massage appointments. A league source told The Athletic that the NFL has not been given access to speak to many of the plaintiffs of the 22 civil lawsuits filed against Watson, or to relevant third parties. On Oct. 1, 2016, Watson and the No. When asked Wednesday if he expects. He finished with 125 passing yards, 67 rushing yards and a 49-yard rushing touchdown as the Texans won 139. March 21, 2022: The Houston Texans traded QB Deshaun Watson to the Cleveland Browns. The official source for NFL news, video highlights, fantasy football, game-day coverage, schedules, stats, scores and more. [44], In the fall of 2016, Watson became the first player since Jason White in 20032004 to win the Davey O'Brien Award in consecutive years. Nike has suspended its endorsement deal with Watson, the company said Wednesday. Kevin Stefanski on Deshaun Watson's debut for Browns vs Texans: 'I think he will be ready to roll' Watson last played in an NFL game in January 2020 to play better than last season and be a dominant force from the jump, based in large part on . [146] 18 professional massage therapists have since expressed support of his character, saying that the allegations contradict their experiences with Watson. Ashley Solis, who filed the first suit against Watson, read a prepared statement while seated next to Buzbee. Hardin noted that Buzbee, who frequently posted about the case on social media, is intent on conducting discovery by Facebook and trial by press conference., In some respects, publicity and advocating for your clients through the media is pretty necessary, said Dallas-based attorney Michelle Tuegel, who represented sexual abuse victims in lawsuits against USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar. The 22 active civil suits allege Watson forced two women to perform oral sex, ejaculated on three women and in front of three others, groped four women and kissed another woman unprompted upon arrival for a massage appointment. A massage therapist alleges in the suit that Watson pressured her into oral sex during a session in December 2020. 24: 33: 72.7: 324: 9.8: 3: . Sue L. Robinson the former federal judge appointed by the NFL and NFL Players Association to decide Watsons punishment initially suggested a six-game ban to begin the 2022 season, but the NFL exercised its right to appealthe punishment, creating the possibility of a longer suspension. In his first game in 700 days, Watson posted the worst passer rating of his NFL career at 53.4, throwing for 131 yards and one interception in the 2714 win. The NFL and Watson have three days to appeal, though Watson and the NFLPA have signaled that they will accept Robinsons proposal. The risk of being wrong is simply too high. Deshaun Watson's out of the NFL playoffs, but don't feel too bad for the guy the quarterback is now on a tropical vacation, cozying up with his smokin'-hot girlfriend, Jilly Anais. The judge granted Watson's attorneys' emergency motion requiring the release of the other accusers' names. That suspension, which was originally set at six games, was extended to. [113] In Week 11 against the New England Patriots, Watson threw for 344 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 36 yards and another touchdown during a 2720 win, earning the AFC Offensive Player of the Week award. [88], On January 21, 2019, Watson was named to his first Pro Bowl, replacing the Super Bowl-bound Tom Brady. Over two weeks, we tried to investigate these things privately, said Hardin, who began representing Watson against these lawsuits in mid-March. Watson did not play the entirety of the 2021 NFL season and in March 2022 was traded to the Browns, who signed him to a five-year contract worth $230 million, fully guaranteed. February 5, 2018: The Houston Texans activated QB Deshaun Watson. He was traded from Houston to Cleveland this spring before signing a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million deal with the Browns. Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry told reporters during the Browns bye week that he expects Watson will start against the Texans in Week 13, the first game in which hes eligible to play. Watson missed the entire 2021 NFL season amid disagreements with the Texans' front office and the unfolding . The NFL instead hit Watson with an 11-game suspension and $5 million fine, when most, after such a settlement with 23 women, would have forever lost their jobs, good riddance. The 22 active civil suits allege Watson forced two women to perform oral sex, ejaculated on three women and in front of three others, groped four women and kissed another woman unprompted upon arrival for a massage appointment.
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