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The very moment the Cleveland Browns acquired Deshaun Watson from the Houston Texans, they knew they were in for a wild ride. Despite not being criminally charged by a grand jury due to the lack of evidence, there's still a lot of controversy surrounding the move. It is hard to move past the fact that 22 unrelated women accused him of sexual assault, after all.
A few weeks after that ruling, there are new developments surrounding the Browns QB's cases that aren't necessarily in his favor. Two of the plaintiffs added new causes to their lawsuits against Deshaun Watson, adding claims of negligence and gross negligence. This is according to the plaintiff's attorney, Tony Buzbee, via USA Today:
âDeshaun Watson has denied he acted intentionally; we believe strongly that we will prove he did. We have also added a claim for negligence allowing a jury to assess liability for unreasonable and imprudent conduct as well. This claim is just another through which the jury can assess liability and damages against him.â
To clarify, these lawsuits are different from the initial criminal suits that the Browns QB has been cleared for. These are separate civil cases filed by the same women.
This may all sound like confusing legal jargon for most of the community. Simply put, these new causes are just new avenues for the plaintiffs to uncover more evidence against the Browns QB. Per a professor at South Texas College of Law Houston:
Article Continues Belowâ[It] permits the plaintiffs to widen the scope of discovery. They will be able to ask any questions or seek information such as texts related to those claims. Second, it provides plaintiffs another basis for recovery (of damages). Third, if plaintiffs prevail on the gross negligence claims they can be awarded punitive damages, which are damages designed to punish the wrongdoer for his/her extreme conduct.â
Deshaun Watson's case has been well-followed by many NFL fans ever since it all began. It started a few years ago, when amid a holdup, 22 massage therapists claimed they were victims of sexual assault by Watson. This led to a tumultuous moment for the Texans, who had to bench Watson amid these claims.
Ultimately, the Browns were able to trade for Watson, but only after a grand jury declined to charge the quarterback due to a lack of evidence. The move has divided NFL fans, with one side claiming that Watson's non-indictment means he's an innocent man, and the other side claiming that the non-indictment isn't a good indicator of Watson's standing.
Clearly, however, Watson isn't quite in the clear just yet. Despite avoiding a potential incarceration, the Browns QB still has to account for these civil suits, where he'll like have to settle for a considerable amount with each of the 22 plaintiffs. According to one estimate, the suits could cost Watson $1.5 to $2.5 million per plaintiff.
The NFL itself hasn't made a decision about their own punishment for Deshaun Watson, if they will punish the Browns QB at all. The league has notoriously been rather inconsistent in handing out punishments for these cases. In 2010, then-Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was suspended for six games (later reduced to four) after sexual assault allegations were lobbed against him.
Regardless of the optics of the situations, most Browns fans are happy with acquiring Watson in strictly football terms. Prior to missing the entire 2021 season, Watson was one of the most electrifying young quarterbacks in the NFL. He adds star power to an AFC that has loaded up on big talents in the offseason.
