NFL reviewing possible Personal Conduct Policy violations in latest Deshaun Watson lawsuit

Posted by Admin September 10, 2024 NFL

The latest lawsuit against Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson has led the NFL to once again look into potential Personal Conduct policy violations.

“We are reviewing the complaint and will look into the matter under the Personal Conduct Policy,” the NFL said in an emailed response to the Beacon Journal.

However, the league has no plans at this time to place Watson on the Commissioner’s Exempt list. The NFL spokesman cited the fact there’s been no criminal charges filed, as well as the early stages of the league’s review.

The Browns also made their first public comment since the lawsuit, saying through a spokesperson, “We will respect the due process our legal system affords regarding the recently filed civil suit and follow the NFL’s guidelines on this matter.”

Watson was suspended for the first 11 games of the 2022 season, his first with the Browns after being acquired from the Houston Texans. Those also came from an NFL Personal Conduct Policy investigation into previous allegations of sexual assault or sexual misconduct against the quarterback.

The newest lawsuit was filed Monday in Harris County, Texas. It was filed by a single mother going under the pseudonym “Jane Doe” who said the incident happened in her apartment while on a first date with Watson, who was the Houston Texans’ quarterback at the time.

The lawsuit is the 27th to accuse Watson of some kind of sexual assault or sexual misconduct. The previous 26 accused him of it during massage appointments, while the newest one accuses him of sexual assault during a date in October 2020.

Watson settled 23 of the previous 26 out of court in 2022, and another one, filed in March 2021, was withdrawn shortly after it was filed. There remains one filed in October 2022 that is still pending, while another one remains pending but dormant.

All 27 of the lawsuits stem from incidents in either 2020 or early 2021. This marks the third lawsuit that formally accuses him of sexual assault, while the others describe various forms of sexual misconduct.

The NFL’s original Personal Conduct Policy investigation in 2022 led to an early July hearing that year in front of disciplinary officer Sue L. Robinson, who initially handed down a six-game suspension to Watson on Aug. 1. The league appealed the decision, which went to a designee of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, Peter C. Harvey.

However, before Harvey issued his ruling, the NFL and Watson, with assistance of the NFL Players Association, reached an agreement on the 11-game suspension. He also had to pay a $5 million fine and underwent an evaluation and treatment from professional behavior experts.

Can the Browns void Watson’s contract? How the latest allegations could impact the quarterback’s deal

The Browns signed Watson to a fully-guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract after they acquired him from the Texans in March 2022. Even following a re-structuring late last month, his cap hit this season is $27,942,678, with cap hits of $72,935,000 in 2025 and 2026, and a void year cap hit of $26,864,000 in 2027.

There is a provision in the contract, however, that would potentially give the Browns an out. At the time Watson signed the deal, he had to give the team a list of all of his accusations in writing.

If the newest allegation was not on the list, that would potentially allow the Browns to void the contract. That could save the team $92 million in guaranteed salary in 2025 and 2026 if he’s released following this season.

However, according to Pro Football Talk, the Browns would still absorb a combined $80.77 million in cap hits. If he were to be designated a post-June 1 release, the hit would be $26.935 million for 2025 and another $53.835 million for 2026.

Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ