New lawsuit against Deshaun Watson resolved, lawyer says

Nearly a month after a new lawsuit was filed accusing Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson of assault and battery, the case has been resolved, the plaintiff’s attorney said.

“We have now resolved our client’s claim with Deshaun Watson,” attorney Tony Buzbee told ESPN on Monday evening. “The settlement is confidential.”

Watson’s attorney, Rusty Hardin, also later confirmed that the case has been resolved.

According to the lawsuit, which was filed on September 9 in Harris County, Texas, the alleged actions occurred in October 2020 before Watson and a woman, identified in the lawsuit as Jane Doe, were scheduled to have dinner at her apartment. Watson was a member of the Houston Texans at the time.

Watson denied the allegations in a statement released by Hardin. The NFL investigated the complaint under its personal conduct policy, but the league did not place Watson on the commissioner’s exempt list because no formal charges had been filed and the review had just begun.

A league spokesman declined to comment Monday evening.

Buzbee previously told ESPN that the woman, as well as two additional witnesses, planned to speak with the NFL. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether the woman still planned to interview the league as part of its investigation.

Watson, 29, served an 11-match ban in 2022 after more than 20 women accused him of sexual assault and inappropriate behavior during massage sessions. A pair of grand juries in Texas declined to bring criminal charges against him, but he served his suspension after the NFL and the NFL Players Association reached a settlement in his disciplinary case.

He also had to pay a $5 million fine and undergo a mandatory evaluation by behavioral health experts and follow their proposed treatment program before being reinstated by the league.

Watson settled 23 of the 24 lawsuits filed against him in the summer of 2022.

The lawsuit filed in September is separate from the two remaining active lawsuits (one from summer 2022 and another filed in October) against women who accused Watson of sexual misconduct during massage sessions.

In the wake of the latest lawsuit, Watson has continued to start at quarterback for the Browns. Coach Kevin Stefanski previously declined to comment on the lawsuit, but said he was unaware of the allegations before they surfaced.

Watson has started seventeen games since the Browns traded six draft picks, including three first-round picks, for him and gave him a fully guaranteed $230 million deal, which was an NFL record at the time. Through five games this season, Watson has posted a QBR of 21.0, the lowest among all qualified passers.