Deshaun Watson update: NFL shares update on Browns QB’s status, issues statement

The NFL is not currently planning to place Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson on the commissioner’s exempt list after he was sued in Houston on Monday for sexual assault and battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

The league is keeping him off the commissioner’s exempt list “since there have been no criminal charges and the league’s review has just begun,” according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

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“We are reviewing the complaint and we will look into the matter under the Personal Conduct Policy,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a statement.

The alleged incident took place on Oct. 10, 2020. The complainant, who filed the lawsuit under the Jane Doe pseudonym, alleges that Watson “roughly sexually assaulted” in her apartment “for several minutes in a ‘missionary position’ before grabbing her and flipping her over” before the two were scheduled to go on a date.

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NFL reviewing latest accusation against Deshaun Watson

In 2021 and ’22, 26 lawsuits were filed accusing Watson of sexual misconduct and harassment. The difference in this particular case is that Watson is specifically accused of sexual assault. Watson, who sat out the entirety of the 2021 season after the allegations arose, was suspended for the first 11 games of the 2022 campaign and fined $5 million for violating the league’s Personal Conduct Policy.

A potential suspension “could give the Browns a path toward voiding his remaining salary guarantees and ending the relationship,” Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wrote in his report. The Browns signed Watson to a five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed deal in March 2022. That July, he settled 20 of the sexual misconduct cases against him. As of August 2023, 23 of the 26 civil lawsuits have been settled.

The woman using the Jane Doe pseudonym is represented by Tony Buzbee. Buzbee represented several women apart of the string of sexual harassment allegations against Watson. Per Florio, a five-year statute of limitations applies in Texas because the case expressly alleges sexual assault.

Watson struggled in Week 1 Sunday, completing 24-of-45 passes for 169 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. The Dallas Cowboys defeated the Browns, 33-17.