The NFL’s Deshaun Watson investigation has entered its final stages, but the league has not wrapped up one of its key prongs. The Browns quarterback met with NFL investigators this week in Houston. New information will be presented to the public soon, and the league is expected to seek a second meeting with Watson, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Watson attorney Rusty Hardin told Cabot the NFL is aiming to end its investigation in June or July. No firm timetable exists. Several of Watson’s accusers spoke with HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel for a piece that will air Tuesday. The women interviewed detail their allegations and reactions to Watson being given a five-year, $230MM fully guaranteed contract despite being embroiled in this controversy.
The league’s investigation will almost certainly wrap up before the 22 women who have accused Watson of sexual assault and/or sexual misconduct have concluded their depositions in his civil trial. That could set up a scenario in which the NFL levies a suspension this summer but leaves the prospect of additional punishment — similar to the league’s 2020 Antonio Brown ban, which was announced in late July of 2020 — coming to pass based on the civil cases. No second punishment occurred in Brown’s case, and he returned to play after his eight-game ban.
Watson has given several civil depositions and will give two more in late June. No depositions will take place between August 1 and March 1, according to Cabot, with both sides agreeing to not proceed during the Browns’ season.
Twenty-four women have accused Watson of these crimes, though two of the accusers are not part of the civil suit. Two Texas grand juries cleared Watson, who awaits the outcome of the civil cases and his NFL fate. The 26-year-old QB is not engaged in settlement talks, Hardin adds.
I had to do it. The second meeting will be held at Mama Changs hot wax and boom-boom room!
Dms0746, it will be awkward when the League officials show up at that place and find that Watson is being given the grand tour by Robert Kraft!
One game per accuser seems totally within reason based on past NFL punishments
Year and half suspension! I’m good with it, but that doesn’t sell tickets and that trumps suspension time.
Sell more tickets? They’re usually extremely close to capacity.
Not gonna happen. He generates to much $$$ for the NFL…. so they’ll do their double talk and song and dance and give him 4 games. Hypocrites.
“Two Texas grand juries cleared Watson, who awaits the outcome of the civil cases and his NFL fate.”
They declined to indict. “Cleared” implies that there was exculpatory evidence presented that proved his innocence. No such thing occurred.
If the HBO interview is deemed credible and gets ratings, expect all of the morning shows, 60 Minutes, etc. to follow suit.
Fully guaranteed, no matter what comes out…
NO but they’re trying to sell it as he’s innocent….. he’s not.
trevor bauer was “cleared” too
I’d bet on 8-10 games, not including last year
possibly a 2 year suspension, including last year.
Should get 4-5 years and register as sex offender…
Innocent until proven guilty. Ever heard that? Failing to indict means that there wasn’t enough evidence to go to trial. So…..Watson is presumed Innocent because he wasn’t proven guilty
see the Bauer situation…
Watsons getting 8 games minimum
Different league. Different situation
ya 22x worse than bauer
and 7x worse than AB in the same league
The prosecutor is in control of what evidence is presented to the grand jury.
actually it’s up to the judge
Yes he makes that decision on the evidence that the prosecutor gathers and presents.
to him first
Let’s test this premise…
OJ Simpson did not kill his wife because he was found innocent.
Is that statement true or false?
well the bottom line is if he doesn’t settle 22 cases out of court ,
he’s going to miss the entire season waiting for a resolution
so pretty much he pays off his victims before the preseason and gets slapped with some type of suspension from the league
or he misses another season trying to liberate himself against 22 court cases..
NFL will not let him play until these cases are settled
so pretty much it’s not looking like Deshaun is going to play this season
He wasn’t found innocent, he was found not guilty.
There’s a difference. Not guilty means the state didn’t prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, not that innocence was proved.
So, the presumption of innocence due to being found not guilty means he did NOT kill his wife, then?
I believe this suspension will be severe. He may never play a down this year or for the Browns ever. Certainly , the Browns had language in his contract to allow them to void if there isn’t reasonable resolution to this issue. Browns can’t be that stupid. It is a privilege to play in this league and I think NFL makes an example out of this azz. Civil or criminal, the writing is on the wall. Why should he be treated any different than the average Joe.
“Certainly , the Browns had language in his contract to allow them to void if there isn’t reasonable resolution to this issue. Browns can’t be that stupid.”
Do you know something no one else does regarding Watson’s deal or are you just severely overestimating the decision making of the Browns?
Cuz it did not and they are.
But unfortunately the Browns ARE that stupid. Their offer was ridiculous given the uncertainty of his status, they deserve it if this totally blows up in their faces.
they don’t need the language. the NFL won’t pay suspended players
Suspended players lose the game check.
Expect nothing but a slap on the wrist by the NFL. If that happens I would leak one plaintiff deposition every couple of weeks so the NFL is dragged through the mud for an entire year.