Nike has suspended its endorsement of Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson after the first woman to accuse him of sexual misconduct came forward publicly.
CNBC’s Jabari Young reported the news on Nike’s decision to drop Watson for the time being, and featured a statement from the company on the matter.
“We are deeply concerned by the disturbing allegations and have suspended Deshaun Watson. We will continue to closely monitor the situation,” Nike’s statement said.
Watson, 25, is facing numerous lawsuits that allege sexual misconduct. Ashley Solis was the first of Watson’s accusers to go public in a press conference held on Tuesday. Nike’s decision to suspend its endorsement of Watson comes on the heels of that.
The NFL also released a statement in response to the Watson scandal, which is worded very similarly to what Nike said, in that the situation is being watched closely.
Watson continues to be investigated by the NFL under the guise of the league’s personal conduct policy.
Prior to the wave of allegations coming to light, Watson had requested a trade from the Texans this offseason. He was the NFL passing champion in 2020, when he completed 70.2% of his passes for 4,823 yards and 33 touchdowns to seven interceptions for a 112.4 passer rating.