Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson might have been cleared of criminal charges by a grand jury, but he still faces 23 civil suits as well as a possible suspension from the NFL.
Someone might want to tell that to Rusty Hardin, Watson's lawyer.
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On Friday, Deshaun Watson's lawyer appeared on the Payne and Pendergast radio program and made some unbelievable comments:
Deshaun Watson's attorney Rusty Hardin ended his interview with @SethCPayne & @SeanTPendergast this morning reminding the audience that "happy endings" to massages are not necessarily illegal. https://t.co/dkWBghW7Eg pic.twitter.com/V0nOq1PeAi
— SportsRadio 610 (@SportsRadio610) June 3, 2022
“I don't know how many men are out there now… that have had a massage… that perhaps… occasionally there was a happy ending… I do want to point out, if it has happened, it's not a crime. Unless you are paying somebody extra… to give you some type of sexual activity, it's not a crime… At the end of the day… Doing something or saying something or being a way that makes you uncomfortable is not a crime,” Hardin said.
Watson's lawyer is correct that a grand jury has already cleared the Browns quarterback of criminal charges. However, the bar is very different for civil suits. That bar is even lower for a suspension from football.
One of the biggest concerns for Deshaun Watson is what's going to happen to his playing status with the Browns. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell does not need criminal charges to be filed to take action. Due to recent agreements in the new CBA, an objective party will make a ruling and recommendation to the league. It would be a shock if Deshaun Watson was not suspended for at least part of the 2022 season. But after Hardin's comments Friday that appeared to sound like an admission of acts that are technically not illegal, that punishment might just be more severe than originally thought.
There is a reason the Browns have not traded Baker Mayfield, and it is not just because other teams don't want him.
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