Deshawn Watson did not play in the 2021 season after 22 women filed civil lawsuits against him for sexual harassment and misconduct; Watson recently learned that he would not face criminal charges.
According to reports, Deshawn Watson waived a no-trade clause in his contract with the Houston Texans in order to be traded to the Cleveland Browns.
Rapoport adds that the trade would give the Texans “three first-round picks, third and late round trades, fourth for fifth.”
The news comes after Watson held meetings with the New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers earlier this week.
Cleveland, like the Panthers, were initially informed that they would not run for Watson, who now appears to have changed his mind to team with Kevin Stefansky.
At the same time, Watson’s arrival is expected to lead to a trade for Baker Mayfield after the Browns reportedly denied his transfer request on Thursday.
Important contract note for Deshawn Watson, who received a 5-year, $230 million contract. His base salary for 2022 is $1 million, meaning that if he is suspended, it will be paid from that base.
— Jan Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 18, 2022
A Texas grand jury recently refused to indict Watson for sexually harassing 22 women, meaning he will not face criminal charges.
Watson, who did not play in the 2021 season, is still facing 22 civil lawsuits accusing the 26-year-old of indecent behavior during massage sessions, while he also remains the subject of an NFL investigation and potential punishment under league policy. regarding personal behavior.
“This is definitely a very emotional moment for me,” Watson told reporters after the jury dropped the criminal charges against him. “I know we’re still a long way from figuring out what we need to do on the legal side, but today is definitely a big day.
“I thank everyone who was a part of this for seeing and hearing both sides and that is what my goal and my team wanted to do is for us to be honest about our side of the story and let the conclusion boil down to what happened today. and that’s what the grand jury decided. I’m just going to keep fighting to get my name back and my appearance in the community, and on the legal side to sort out what we need to do. But I am also ready to continue the field and prepare for it.”
