Deshaun Watson: Major development emerges amid sexual misconduct allegations

A major update has emerged with regards to Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson and the ongoing matter of 24 accusations of sexual misconduct against him.

The situation surrounding Deshaun Watson and his trade to the Cleveland Browns from the Houston Texans has been one of, if not the, biggest talking points of this past offseason in the NFL, with a large part of it having nothing to do with what he can do on the field of play. 

Watson has had 24 accusations of sexual misconduct against him in the past few months, with that number having grown and grown as the weeks have gone by, accusations which if found to be true, threaten to derail a very promising career from a very talented quarterback.

But despite this, the Browns decided to take the risk on him and give up three 1st round draft picks, one 3rd round pick and one 4th round pick spread across 2022, 2023 and 2024 as well as giving him a fully guaranteed, 5-year, $230m contract.

Watson has already escaped one potentially major problem through all of this, as back in March a grand jury decided not to indict the 26-year-old, meaning that he would not be charged with a crime, but that did mean the accusations could be handled as civil lawsuits. 

The timeline of the NFL’s handling of the matter meant that it could be some time before any potential punishment could have been handed down to Watson, but a development has today emerged that could provide some clarity over when the NFL could step in.

Lawyer Tony Buzbee, who is representing the 24 women accusing Watson in this case, announced in a statement that settlements had been agreed with all but four of the women involved, although the details of the settlements will not be disclosed:

Tony Buzbee announces in a