CLEVELAND — Prior to news of his six-game suspension, Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson agreed to settle three of the four remaining civil lawsuits against him.
Houston attorney Tony Buzbee confirmed the settlements to ESPN's John Barr early Monday. Buzbee released a statement saying, "We will continue to discuss the remaining case with Watson's legal team."
That means Watson has now settled 23 civil lawsuits, with one still outstanding. The latest settlements came just hours before former U.S. District Judge Sue L. Robinson revealed her decision to suspend Watson after multiple women accused him of sexual misconduct during his time with the Houston Texans.
The NFLPA issued the following joint statement with Watson late Sunday:
“In advance of Judge Robinson’s decision, we wanted to reiterate the facts of this proceeding. First, we have fully cooperated with every NFL inquiry and provided the NFL with the most comprehensive set of information for any personal conduct policy investigation. A former Federal Judge – appointed jointly by the NFLPA and NFL – held a full and fair hearing, has read thousands of pages of investigative documents and reviewed arguments from both sides impartially. Every player, owner, business partner and stakeholder deserves to know that our process is legitimate and will not be tarnished based on the whims of the League office. This is why, regardless of her decision, Deshaun and the NFLPA will stand by her ruling and we call on the NFL to do the same.”
Watson does not face any criminal charges connected to the allegations, however, as two grand juries in Texas didn’t issue an indictment.
Edit's note: Video in the player above was originally published in a previous story on July 31, 2022.