NFL Reviews Allegations Of Sexual Misconduct Against Cleveland Browns
BY OSABUOHIEN IMUETINYANOSA
The NFL set to review the latest allegations of sexual misconduct against Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson but will not place him on paid administrative leave at this point, the league said Tuesday.
Deshaun Watson joined the Cleveland Browns from the Houston Texans in 2022
The NFL said it is reviewing the latest sexual assault allegation made against Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson.
A woman filed a civil lawsuit against Watson in Houston, Texas on Monday seeking $1m (£764,000) in damages for an incident that allegedly occurred while the pair were on a date in October 2020.
The NFL added that Watson will not be immediately suspended as there have been no criminal charges brought and its review has just begun.
The Browns say they will “respect the due process “and “follow the NFL’s guidelines” on the matter.
In August 2022, Watson was suspended for 11 games without pay and fined $5m following an investigation into multiple sexual misconduct allegations.
He was accused of sexual assault and inappropriate misconduct during massage sessions that took place between March 2020 and March 2021.
Watson denied the allegations, and two grand juries ruled there was not enough evidence to charge him. He later reached confidential settlements with 23 of the 24 women in the summer of 2022.
The 28-year-old moved from the Houston Texans on a five-year deal worth a then-NFL-record $230m (£174.4m) in March 2022. Watson did not play in the 2021 season for the Texans before they traded him to the Browns in March 2022. The NFL left Watson eligible to play that season. The Texans continued to pay him but they placed him on their game-day inactive list on a weekly basis.
