It has not been a great 24 hours for Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson.
The 28-year-old signal-caller had one of the worst games of his career in Cleveland’s 33-17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, throwing for just 169 yards with one touchdown, two interceptions, and six sacks taken.
Then Watson woke up on Monday morning to find he’s been named in a lawsuit in Houston accusing him of sexual assault and battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
Florio also stated this new case could give the Browns legal standing to void the rest of Watson’s $230M contract and any salary guarantees.
If Cleveland were to designate Watson as a post-June 1 release next offseason, it would have a dead cap hit of $172.7M that it could spread over 2025 and 2026. But if the Browns were able to void his contract with no dead cap charge, they could save north of $150M.
The plaintiff, who filed the suit under a Jane Doe name, alleges she was preparing for a date with Watson on October 10, 2020. While she was getting ready in her bathroom, she claims Watson removed his clothes, laid on her bed naked and “aggressively insisted” that she massage him.
While massaging his shoulders, Watson allegedly demanded to be massaged in more intimate areas including his genitals. When she refused, stating she wasn’t a massage therapist, Watson then allegedly partially disrobed the plaintiff and sexually assaulted her.
“Jane Doe felt paralyzed, unsure if she should risk her safety by trying to stop Watson or endure his assault,” the lawsuit read. “… Jane Doe finally gathered the courage and strength to escape Watson. Jane Doe quickly ran to her dresser to grab a heavy piece of décor for self-defense, and yelled at Watson [to] get out of her apartment. Enraged, Watson stormed out of Jane Doe’s apartment.”
The plaintiff’s attorney, Tony Buzbee, also represented a number of women who sued Watson in 2021 in cases with similar circumstances. Those 20-plus lawsuits were all from massage therapists who claimed Watson also sexually assaulted them as well.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Deshaun Watson finds himself in the midst of both on-field struggles and off-field legal battles. The quarterback’s performance in the recent game against the Cowboys was less than stellar, and to add insult to injury, he woke up to the news of a lawsuit accusing him of serious allegations.
The legal implications of this new case could have significant financial repercussions for Watson and the Cleveland Browns. If the team were able to void his contract without a dead cap charge, they stand to save a substantial amount of money.
As more details unfold in this case, it will be interesting to see how it impacts Watson’s career and the future of the Browns. Stay tuned to DeFi Daily News for more trending news articles like this.
