NFL fighting quarterback Deshawn Watson repeatedly denied prominent allegations of sexual harassment and harassment by 22 women when questioned by reporters Friday during his opening press conference with the Cleveland Browns.
“I have never in my life insulted, disrespected or abused any woman,” Watson told reporters in his first public appearance since the Browns acquired him from the Houston Texans for three first-round picks. at the beginning of this month.
Watson, 26, spoke a day after a second grand jury in Texas declined to bring charges against a three-time Pro Bowl selection over a sexual assault complaint. Earlier, on March 11, a Harris County grand jury declined to hear charges stemming from nine separate complaints against Watson, who still faces 22 sexual harassment lawsuits.
These lawsuits, most of which were filed by masseuses, allege that Watson forced two women to perform oral sex on him, ejaculated on three women and forcibly kissed another, while 18 women say Watson touched them with his penis during the massage. .
He has maintained his innocence since the lawsuits were first filed in the spring of 2021, insisting that any sexual contact with women was entirely consensual.
On Friday, Watson said his intention was not to settle the lawsuits, but to clear his name by doing charity work.
“I have always been a community leader,” Watson said, referring to his work with Habitat for Humanity and cancer charities. “I’ve always been that kind of person.”
Browns general manager Andrew Berry and head coach Kevin Stefansky said they understand the criticism surrounding their acquisition of Watson, who received a new five-year, $230 million contract in Cleveland after the deal.
However, they insisted they were confident in “Deshawn the Human” after a five-month evaluation that began last fall when Watson was benched in Houston amid allegations from 22 women.
Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry (left), new quarterback Deshawn Watson (center) and head coach Kevin Stefansky pose for a photo during a press conference at the NFL’s training ground on Friday.
“I don’t know if I can pinpoint a specific moment, but it was a long process, as I mentioned,” Berry said when asked when he got comfortable with Watson enough to trade him for a polarizing quarterback. “It was a five-month odyssey.
“It really was a combination of all factors. As we were able to accumulate more and more information, you know, the sheer volume of it and the amount of time and work we put into it ended up making us feel comfortable.”
Berry explained that the Browns had no direct contact with Watson’s accusers on the advice of the team’s lawyers.
“Our lawyers advised us not to contact the 22 women directly for fear that this would be seen as interfering with a criminal investigation,” Berry said. “It is for this reason, among a number of other reasons, that it was important for us to use independent investigative resources that were impartial and comprehensive so that we could get the full picture.”
Berry hesitated to say whether the team’s investigators were under direct contracts with Watson’s accusers.
“The investigators we hired were able to get a complete picture of all the cases,” Berry said.
“I won’t go into the details of everything the investigators did, but they got the full picture,” Berry added.
Last week, the Browns traded for Watson, sending Houston three future first-round picks and one player in the fourth round. Watson waived his no-trade clause to facilitate the deal, which was a new, fully guaranteed, five-year, $230 million contract that included a $44.5 million signing bonus.
Some criticism has focused on this contract, which replaced a four-year, $177.5 million extension he signed with the Texans in 2020.
In particular, fans are objecting to the structure of the deal, which pays Watson just $1 million in 2022, when he could face a suspension, and $46 million annually for the past four years.
So if Watson is suspended in 2022, he will lose about $60,000 for every game he misses.
By comparison, if his contract were evenly structured over the next five years, he would lose over $2 million for each suspended game.
Berry defended the contract structure on Friday, saying the Browns backed the deal to allow for more roster flexibility this year when they are still looking to add more talent to the roster.
“From a club standpoint, it was important for us … to sign Deshawn Watson for another year, to be structured in a way that allows us to be as flexible as possible with the remainder of our off-season plan,” Berry said. .
On Friday, Watson insisted his decision to agree to the Cleveland deal had nothing to do with the $230 million contract the Browns offered him. According to Watson, he was not aware of the offer until he told his agent that he wanted to join the team.
The team still has last year’s starting quarterback, Baker Mayfield, with a base salary of $18 million for 2022.
Watson reportedly turned down the Browns’ offers when the team initially pursued him earlier this month, but changed his mind and waived the no-trade clause after Cleveland offered him a guaranteed $230 million.
Despite the huge contract, Watson said his decision had nothing to do with money because he already wanted to play in Cleveland even before he knew about the offer.
“It really had nothing to do with the contract,” Watson said on Friday. “I didn’t know about the contract until I told my agent that I wanted to come and be the Cleveland Brown… [had] nothing to do with the fact that I chose the Cleveland Browns.