Deshaun Watson‘s lawyer, Rusty Hardin, said Tuesday he believes all the allegations against his client are false. The Texans quarterback has been accused of sexual misconduct or assault by 16 women, with two more accusers emerging Tuesday.
“Any allegation that Deshaun forced a woman to commit a sexual act is completely false,” Hardin said, via ESPN.com’s Sarah Barshop.
Hardin also accused Tony Buzbee, the attorney for the massage therapists who have accused Watson, of denying his requests to provide the plaintiffs’ names in order for their claims to be investigated. Additionally, Watson marketing manager Bryan Burney said one of the accusers attempted to blackmail his client for $30K in January, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
In an affidavit, Burney said one of Watson’s accusers — who has alleged he forced her to perform oral sex on him at a Houston office building — confirmed everything that occurred during her encounter with Watson was consensual. The woman then sought a payment for her silence on the events of that encounter, Burney said, adding that Watson would not pay her $30K.
However, after the Hardin and Burney statements emerged, 15th and 16th accusers joined the other massage therapists, Aaron Reiss of The Athletic tweets. Buzbee has alleged he has made contact with 22 alleged victims. No criminal charges have been filed against Watson.
Three more civil lawsuits have been filed against Deshaun Watson, as Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com tweets. The Texans quarterback is now facing ten suits in total with allegations of inappropriate conduct and sexual assault.
“I’m extremely proud to represent Deshaun Watson and wholly stand behind him against what we believe are meritless allegations,” his attorney, Rusty Hardin, said recently. “However, we will wait to comment in detail until we’ve completed our review of the numerous, evolving allegations from Mr. Buzbee. We will respond next week and ask you to keep an open mind until we do so.”
Last week, three massage therapists filed against Watson with one accuser alleging that Watson forced her to perform oral sex. Through the first seven cases, Watson denied any wrongdoing. Meanwhile, the Texans say they are cooperating with the investigations.
Watson, a three-time Pro Bowler, was previously in the news for his long-standing trade request. Obviously, his off-the-field matters could put those discussions on pause.
As of March 18, Houston-based attorney Tony Buzbee had filed three lawsuits against Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson on behalf of three massage therapists alleging inappropriate conduct and sexual assault. Now, Buzbee has filed a total of seven suits, and as Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com writes, at least five more will be on the way.
No criminal charges or complaints have been filed against Watson, but according to Barshop, Buzbee is pushing to change that. The attorney plans to submit affidavits and evidence concerning the alleged misconduct to the Houston Police Department and the Houston DA on Monday morning, and he will also request that a grand jury consider the evidence.
Obviously, that is part of Buzbee’s effort to increase his leverage in his civil suits, and the fact that he is submitting affidavits and evidence to the DA’s office does not mean that the DA will believe those materials represent probable cause to initiate criminal proceedings. Still, it’s clear that this matter is not going away, and Watson’s attorney, Rusty Hardin, says a response is forthcoming.
“I’m extremely proud to represent Deshaun Watson and wholly stand behind him against what we believe are meritless allegations,” Hardin said. “However, we will wait to comment in detail until we’ve completed our review of the numerous, evolving allegations from Mr. Buzbee. We will respond next week and ask you to keep an open mind until we do so.” (Twitter link via Mark Berman of FOX 26).
Up until the suits were filed, Watson had been all over the headlines for football-related reasons. He and the Texans were playing a game of chicken over the three-time Pro Bowler’s trade demand, and on March 19 — even after the seventh lawsuit — Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reported that several clubs remained interested in swinging a trade for Watson. That includes the Eagles, whose interest had not been reported previously.
“We need to know more facts before making a firm decision on a trade, but, yes, we’re still interested,” said one NFL executive. “How could you not be interested in Deshaun Watson possibly being your quarterback? The guy is an incredible talent.”
Said another exec, “[w]hat Deshaun Watson has been accused of obviously doesn’t match up at all with what we’ve heard and know about him as a really great person, but you can’t ignore these serious allegations. What that means is making sure you’re doing your homework and making sure you have all the facts before you get heavily involved in trade negotiations. There’s the NFL investigation, the court stuff and you have to let it all play out and make an informed decision. Yes, we’re still very interested in Deshaun Watson. What he has done on the field checks every box for quarterback play.”
If these allegations are not resolved in Watson’s favor in short order, you can expect that interested teams will stop their pursuit of the Texans’ signal-caller.
Three women are accusing Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson of sexual assault, and the NFL is investigating the claims. NFL special counsel for investigations Lisa Friel confirmed to Tony Buzbee, the attorney representing the women who have accused Watson, that the league is investigating this matter.
“I became aware of the lawsuits you filed yesterday, as well as the one you filed this morning, which contain various allegations of misconduct by Houston Texans player Deshaun Watson,” Friel wrote in a letter deemed confidential, which Buzbee shared in a since-deleted Instagram post (via the Houston Chronicle’s Matt Young).
“I am writing to let you know that the League has opened an investigation into these allegations and to request the cooperation of your clients in our investigation. Such cooperation would begin with engaging in Zoom interviews with myself and another League investigator at which, of course, you would be present.”
Three massage therapists have filed suit against the 25-year-old quarterback alleging sexual assault. The third accuser alleges Watson forced her to perform oral sex. Watson denies any wrongdoing and has hired attorney Rusty Hardin to represent him, Young reports. The Texans released a statement indicating they are cooperating with the investigation.
Watson is a three-time Pro Bowler who is already a central component of the NFL offseason. The star quarterback has requested a trade from the Texans, who signed him to a $39MM-per-year extension last summer. The Texans have insisted they will not trade Watson. This investigation may pause the trade rumors attached to Watson.
Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson is “Plan A, B and C” for the Panthers, according to Joe Person of The Athletic (on Twitter). So far, the Texans have been unwilling to budge and the Panthers have been noticeably quiet in the early stages of the offseason. That could all change soon if owner David Tepper gets his man.
“We are very committed to Deshaun [Watson] as our quarterback. He is our quarterback,” new Texans head coach David Culley said recently. “It’s not a matter of me trying to change anyone’s mind. We’re committed to him. He’s a Houston Texan and we’re going to move forward with that.”
Culley added that “there is no contingency plan” for if Watson doesn’t show up for work. Still, Watson is the only plan for the Panthers and friends like Jalen Ramsey “highly doubt” that Watson will stay in Houston.
The Panthers can make a convincing offer, starting with their No. 8 overall pick. They could also include their next two first-rounders, plus more capital to jumpstart the Texans’ rebuild. As Person notes, Tepper doesn’t like to be told no — he kept raising his hand last year until his seven-year, $60MM offer for head coach Matt Rhule made the Giants back off.
March 11th, 2021 at 2:50pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg
New Texans head coach David Culley has finally spoken on the Deshaun Watson saga, and he didn’t exactly clear things up. In a press conference with the general media, Culley was insistent that the team was all in on Watson.
“We are very committed to Deshaun [Watson] as our quarterback. He is our quarterback,” Culley said, via this tweet from Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com. Culley also deferred questions about Watson asking for a trade to GM Nick Caserio, who wasn’t there. “It’s not a matter of me trying to change anyone’s mind. We’re committed to him. He’s a Houston Texan and we’re going to move forward with that,” Culley said when asked if Watson could be talked out of his trade request, via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
Culley added that “there is no contingency plan” for if Watson decides not to report. He also said “yes, he is,” when asked if Watson is committed to the Texans, which would seem to be demonstrably false. What makes these comments interesting, is that they’re in sharp contrast to what Culley told Jim Trotter of NFL Network just hours earlier.
Trotter tweeted that he walked away from his conversation with Culley “firmly” believing that Watson will be traded. Culley told Trotter that “he is our starting quarterback right now. He is our starting quarterback. Things happen between now and then. We’ll see what happens.” When he spoke on that more free-wheeling podcast, Culley gave the quarterback kiss of death of ‘right now.’
Culley also told Trotter that “we want guys who are all in.” Reading the tea leaves there it certainly sounds like Culley knows there’s a very good chance Watson is dealt before the 2021 season. It also sounds like somebody spoke with him between that podcast interview and his press conference and asked him to change his tone.
Anytime ‘right nows’ start getting thrown around, it’s seemingly the beginning of the end. This drama could still take many more twists and turns, but as Trotter himself noted, it now sounds like the writing is on the wall.
Deshaun Watson isn’t playing around, according to pal Jalen Ramsey. In an interview with the Huddle & Flow podcast (Twitter link), the Rams cornerback said there’s no real chance for reconciliation between the quarterback and the Texans.
“I highly doubt [Deshaun Watson] will suit up in a Texans’ uniform again,” Ramsey said. “He’s extremely serious.”
It’s worth noting that Ramsey and Watson are both represented by David Mulugheta, so Ramsey has more insight than most on the situation. Ramsey also knows a thing or two about forcing his way out of a toxic situation. The former face of the Jaguars ultimately got the trade he wanted, and he seems to think that Watson will also get his wish.
Watson is just one of eight known NFL players to hold a no-trade clause, which gives him extra leverage. So far, the Texans have not budged on their position. That hasn’t stopped other clubs from calling, including the Panthers, Broncos, and Dolphins. The Jets and 49ers have also been heavily linked to the star QB. According to a recent PFR poll, only ~14% of you believe that he’ll wind up staying with the Texans.
February 27th, 2021 at 10:30pm CST by Zachary Links
It’s fairly common for disgruntled NFL players to give their teams a short list of acceptable trade destinations. However, it’s still quite rare for players to hold contractual veto power over a trade. Currently, there are only nine NFL players with a no-trade clause in their deals, as ESPN.com’s Field Yates tweets:
The Chiefs, who represent 25% of the list, furnished LDT with a NTC as a part of his contract restructure. Historically, there haven’t been many offensive lineman to secure the clause. However, Duvernay-Tardif had a bit of leverage in 2020 when the Chiefs needed extra cap room. He was scheduled to count for nearly $9MM, $6.45MM of which was comprised of base salary. Instead, he converted some of that money into a signing bonus over the remaining three years and came away with a perk typically reserved for quarterbacks.
Watson and Wilson are among the QBs who can block trades. They’re both putting it to use, albeit in different ways. Watson wants out — even after finally meeting with new head coachDavid Culley – and he’s steering himself towards a small group of teams, including the Dolphins and Panthers. Wilson, meanwhile, says that he doesn’t want to get traded and doesn’t expect to get traded. But, if the Seahawks do shop him, he wouldn’t mind joining up with the Bears, Cowboys, Saints or Raiders. In beating out several other teams for Watt, the Cardinals included the clause in the star defender’s contract.
This Week in Deshaun Watson produced perhaps the most noteworthy headline of the saga thus far. The disgruntled quarterback’s meeting with new Texans HC David Culley did not cause him to back off his trade request.
New Texans GM Nick Caserio is dug in against the prospect of trading Watson, according to NBC Sports’ Peter King. With the Texans not viewing free agency as a deadline to make a deal, a resolution does not appear imminent. With teams pursuing Watson potentially moving to other options in the near future, it will be interesting to see how this plays out in the days leading up to the new league year.
Thus far, the Texans have not budged. Caserio and Cal McNair have issued multiple statements indicating they want Watson back under center in Houston next season. In holding Watson’s rights, the Texans certainly have leverage. Trading Watson later in the offseason may affect his assimilation with his next team and affect that team’s 2021 roster plan, though that might be a small factor here. And Watson could be fined more than $20MM this year if he is truly committed to never playing for the Texans again, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
By waiting until after the draft, the Texans would put themselves in danger of downgrading significantly at quarterback and doing so without collecting the kind of trade package that would help kickstart a rebuild. Thanks to their Laremy Tunsil/Kenny Stills trade, the Texans are without 2021 first- and second-round picks. And they may be set to let Will Fuller walk; prior to his trade request, Watson wanted the Texans to retain Fuller. While they would stand to recoup these and much more were they to unload Watson, he remains a Texan for the time being. Where will he be when the season starts?
Although the Texans might not even view the draft as a loose deadline to trade their three-time Pro Bowl passer, the Jets and Dolphins’ draft arsenals would be enticing. Both pick in the top three this year — the Jets at No. 2, the Dolphins third — and hold extra Round 1 picks (the Dolphins at No. 18, the Jets at 23). The Dolphins also have two second-round picks this year, while the Jets have two 2022 first-rounders from the Jamal Adams trade. Watson is believed to be a Robert Saleh fan, but subsequent reports have emerged indicating he would favor a deal to Miami over New York.
The Dolphins and Jets have QBs they could send to Houston, in Tua Tagovailoa and Sam Darnold, and these incumbent options would hold more appeal compared to the passers the Broncos and Panthers could send over. However, Watson has a no-trade clause, and both Carolina and Denver outflank the two AFC East squads at the skill positions.
Carolina and Denver already discussed Teddy Bridgewater and Drew Lock, respectively, in talks with the Lions for Matthew Stafford. Both franchises have new GMs not tied to the acquisitions of either passer, and each team holds a top-nine pick — the Panthers at 8, the Broncos at 9 — this year. The Panthers thus far lead everyone in reported Watson interest. Multiple reports have emerged about owner David Tepper being beyond smitten with Watson and obsessed with his franchise making a major quarterback upgrade. Starting nine quarterbacks since Peyton Manning retired, the Broncos are planning to be aggressive as well — if Watson is made available.
It is not known how aggressive the 49ers will be, but they did discuss Stafford with the Lions. No offer emerged, however. They have made statements indicating they are fine with Jimmy Garoppolo returning, but Stafford discussions certainly point to San Francisco being interested in a Watson swap. The 49ers’ plan, as of late February, would be either making a Watson-level splash or trot out Garoppolo again. While the Broncos are on Watson’s list of approved destinations, the 49ers may well be ahead of them on said list.
Who are the key dark-horse teams to monitor here? The Raiders have been mentioned as a potential suitor. Of course, they have since been named one of Russell Wilson‘s four acceptable destinations. How much should Watson fetch in a trade? Vote in PFR’s latest poll (link for app users) and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section.
Deshaun Watson has met with his would-be new head coach. That summit does not look to have changed anything.
In the Friday meeting with David Culley, Watson informed the new Texans HC he does not plan to play for the team again, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (on Twitter). This follows a report expressing that Watson is dug in on his desire to leave Houston.
Cal McNair and new Texans GM Nick Caserio have repeatedly insisted they are uninterested in trading Watson. But this situation is approaching the two-month mark, and suitors have emerged. More figure to surface soon, should the Texans make Watson available. The Dolphins, Jets, Broncos, Panthers and 49ers have been connected to the four-year veteran passer, who is not expected to be picky regarding his destination.
The Texans hired Culley after Watson’s discontent became public, creating a tough situation for the first-time head coach. The team has since cut future Hall of Famer J.J. Watt. As of now, the Texans do not have first- or second-round picks in this year’s draft — thanks to the 2019 Laremy Tunsiltrade Culley predecessor Bill O’Brien made. The uncertainty surrounding Watson may also create issues for the Texans in free agency, further making Culley’s opening months as the team’s head coach challenging.
Coming to the Texans after a stay with the Ravens, Culley only received one interview during this year’s HC carousel. He did enough to land the Houston job. It seems he will not sway Watson.
