Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson is facing a new sexual assault lawsuit. In a new civil lawsuit filed in Houston, Watson is accused of sexual assault and battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The lawsuit is similar to the nearly two dozen that were filed against him when he played for the Houston Texans, with the latest filing made by attorney Tony Buzbee, who represented some of the 25-plus women who previously accused Watson of sexual assault. Those lawsuits settled outside of court and resulted in an 11-game suspension for the quarterback during the 2022 season.
Per CBS Sports lead NFL insider Jonathan Jones, the NFL is reviewing the allegations against Watson, but is not considering placing him on on the Commissioner’s Exempt list because there are no formal charges and they have just begun to review the accusations. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy issued a statement addressing the lawsuit on Tuesday: “We are reviewing the complaint and we will look into the matter under the personal conduct policy. Not looking at commissioner’s exempt list as there’s been no formal charges and the league’s review has just begun.”
The Browns also issued a brief statement on Tuesday: “We will respect the due process our legal system affords regarding the recently filed civil suit and follow the NFL’s guidelines on this matter.” Watson has yet to publicly address the new lawsuit.
NFL special counsel Lisa Friel will oversee the investigation and is tasked with determining if Watson committed a violation of the personal conduct policy and if a violation warrants additional discipline from what the league has issued Watson for previous violations.
Watson was suspended for 11 games in 2022 after he faced more than 20 accusations of sexual misconduct during his time with the Texans. The QB did not face criminal charges in any of the instances and has long denied any wrongdoing. and settled the majority of the lawsuits that were filed against him.
Watson signed a record-setting, fully guaranteed $230 million contract, which the team has since restructured twice. Watson has appeared in just six games in each of the past two seasons, first due to his suspension then due to numerous injuries last season.
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