The NFL announced this Saturday that the disciplinary hearing of quarterback Deshaun Watson, who violated the league’s conduct policies, will start on July 22.
The hearing will decide whether Watson receives disciplinary action following allegations of sexual assault and misconduct during massage sessions the quarterback received during his time with the Houston Texans from 2017-2020. Last Tuesday, the lawyer representing 24 of these women, Tony Buzbee, reported that 20 of them had reached an agreement with the now Cleveland Browns quarterback, although the amounts of said agreements, he said, were confidential.
On June 14, the player spoke about the conversations he had with league investigators regarding his situation.
“I met with the NFL and I did everything they asked me to do, I honestly answered all the questions. It’s all I can do, be honest and tell them exactly what happened. They have to make a decision that is best for the league,” Watson said.
The Gainesville, Georgia-born quarterback hasn’t played since the 2020 season when he was with the Texans. He was inactive for 2021, the year in which he requested to leave Houston before the charges against him surfaced. In March of this year, a Harris County judge in Texas dismissed the charges against the passer, as of this announcement Deshaun signed a contract with the Cleveland Browns for five years in exchange for 230 million dollars.
Since the first lawsuit was filed, in March 2021, the player has denied any wrongdoing and has said that any sexual relationship with the women was consensual, something he reiterated in his first press conference in a Browns uniform.
“It’s hard to have to deal with this, I’m just going to keep fighting to rebuild my name and my appearance in the community,” he stressed. At the conference, Watson also lamented how this case affected those close to him.
“I have regret in terms of the impact on my family, this organization, my teammates and Browns fans. That’s what I regret, the impact it has had on so many people.”