Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson is reportedly scheduled to deliver a deposition on Monday in one of the remaining civil lawsuits against him alleging sexual misconduct.
Watson, acquired last offseason while facing more than two dozen civil suits alleging sexual misconduct, struggled in his first year with the Browns. After serving an 11-game suspension, the 27-year-old quarterback made his Browns’ debut in Week 13 against the Cleveland Browns.
- Deshaun Watson stats (2022): 7-5 TD-INT, 79.1 QB rating, 58.2% completion rate, 3-3 record, 6.5 yards per attempt, 183.7 passing yards per game
Before Watson returned to action, the team was playing fairly well with starter Jacoby Brissett. Across 11 starts, he posted an 89.1 QB rating with a 12-6 TD-INT ratio, 64.1 percent completion rate and averaged 237.1 passing yards per game.
Related: Baltimore Ravens blame Deshaun Watson’s contract for issues with Lamar Jackson
Expectations are higher for Watson heading into the 2023 season, especially after the team added wide receiver Elijah Moore. However, one of the highest-paid NFL quarterbacks will first need to address one of his remaining legal situations.
According to Tom Withers of the Associated Press, Watson is scheduled to be questioned under oath on Monday as part of one of the two remaining civil lawsuits filed against him. Court documents filed in Texas also asked him to provide communication records between him and the unidentified plaintiff from December 2020 through January 2021.
Watson originally faced more than two dozen accusations of sexual misconduct against masseuses during his time with the Houston Texans. While he settled a majority of the civil suits, two remain.
In the ongoing case that Watson is being deposed for on Monday, the woman accused the Browns’ quarterback of pressuring her into performing oral sex. Watson, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, has denied all allegations of sexual misconduct and assault.
Related: Cleveland Browns restructure Deshaun Watson;s contract
After serving his 11-game suspension last season and sitting out the entire 2021 season, the NFL has said that it hasn’t ruled out the possibility of further discipline if new information comes out from the lawsuit. However, as noted by Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, that could result in legal action taken by the NFL Players Association on Watson’s behalf.
