Final Deshaun Watson Lawsuits Dismissed

At one point, Deshaun Watson was the subject of 27 civil lawsuits stemming from allegations of sexual misconduct. That number dwindled in short order, but two loomed until very recently.

The Browns quarterback will not see the remaining suits proceed to trial. The final two Watson lawsuits have been dismissed by the plaintiffs, as detailed by Brent Schrotenboer of USA Today. Both were dismissed with prejudice roughly one month ago, an indication a confidential settlement was reached in each instance.

One of the two outstanding cases had Lauren Baxley as its plaintiff. She was the last client of attorney Tony Busbee, who represented all but one of Watson’s accusers. The Baxley case was scheduled to proceed to trial on March 30. The other case’s trial was scheduled to begin on February 18. Instead, both matters are now closed.

“Case is settled,” Buzbee confirmed on Monday. “That’s all I can say about it. That’s the last case so that ends my involvement with Deshaun Watson litigation.”

March of 2021 marked the beginning of suits being filed against Watson. All contained allegations of sexual misconduct dating back to his tenure with the Texans. 24 of those suits were settled confidentially in 2021, with another being withdrawn not long after it was filed. The Texans were themselves the subject of allegations the team enabled Watson’s actions during massage sessions and did not prevent them. Settlements were reached with 30 women.

The possibility of civil litigation loomed when Watson was the subject of trade negotiations, but his market picked up once it became clear no criminal case would be in play. In the end, the Browns won the Watson sweepstakes and paid a trade price highlighted by three first-round picks. As part of the blockbuster move, Cleveland gave Watson a five-year, $230MM extension which was guaranteed in full.

To say the least, things have not gone according to plan. After returning from an 11-game suspension, Watson has dealt with a number of injuries and failed to meet expectations when on the field. In all, the three-time Pro Bowler has played just 19 games across three years as a Brown. Watson is currently recovering from the two Achilles tears which kept him sidelined for 2025.

A path may exist for the 30-year-old to earn the Browns’ starting quarterback position next season. In any event, a release following the 2026 campaign would come as no surprise despite the cap implications of doing so based on the restructures worked out by Cleveland over the course of Watson’s ill-fated Cleveland tenure.