Scandals & Feuds ·
The NFL Settlement That Set Deshaun Watson’s 11-Game Suspension
Watson faced civil allegations of sexual misconduct before his March 2022 trade from Houston to Cleveland. The NFL finalized its discipline that August; he continued to deny assaulting anyone.
On August 18, 2022, Deshaun Watson agreed to an 11-game suspension and a $5 million fine for violating the NFL’s personal-conduct policy. The agreement among Watson, the league and the players association also required professional evaluation and treatment. It concluded the league’s disciplinary appeal; it did not dispose of the remaining civil lawsuit. Watson continued to deny assaulting anyone.
The first lawsuit was filed in Houston in March 2021, accusing Watson of sexual misconduct during a massage session. More women filed suit, alleging misconduct during sessions in 2020 and early 2021, when he played for the Texans. Watson denied the allegations from the outset. In his initial public response, he said he had never treated any woman with anything other than respect and wanted to clear his name.
In March 2022, two Texas grand juries declined to indict Watson. The criminal complaints had been filed by 10 women. Those decisions did not end the civil cases or the NFL investigation. That same month, the Browns traded for Watson and signed him to a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract while the league’s inquiry continued.
Cleveland general manager Andrew Berry acknowledged the response to the acquisition. “We as an organization know that this transaction has been very difficult for many people, particularly women in our community,” he said after the trade. At his introductory news conference on March 25, Watson again insisted he had never assaulted, disrespected or harassed a woman.
The civil cases began reaching settlements that summer. On June 21, the women’s attorney, Tony Buzbee, announced agreements in 20 of the 24 lawsuits. Three more were settled by August 1, leaving one pending at that point. The agreements were confidential and separate from the league’s determination of whether Watson had violated its conduct policy.
On August 1, jointly appointed disciplinary officer Sue L. Robinson imposed a six-game suspension. She determined that Watson had “engaged in sexual assault (as defined by the NFL)” against four women whose cases the league presented. That was a league disciplinary finding, not a criminal conviction. In declining to impose a longer suspension, Robinson said she was bound by the NFL’s precedent for offenses it categorized as “non-violent” sexual misconduct.
The NFL appealed after having sought a yearlong ban. Commissioner Roger Goodell appointed former New Jersey attorney general Peter Harvey to hear the appeal, but the parties reached their August 18 agreement before Harvey ruled. Watson’s fine was combined with contributions of $1 million each from the NFL and the Browns to create a fund supporting organizations that work to prevent sexual misconduct and assault and support survivors.
Watson’s statement that day included an apology “for any pain this situation has caused” and a pledge to take accountability for his decisions. Speaking to reporters afterward, he also maintained that he had “never assaulted or disrespected anyone.” Buzbee rejected the settlement’s message to the women he represented: “The message today to all victims is clear, if you believe you have been sexually assaulted by a powerful person, keep your mouth shut and go away.”