CLEVELAND –? Deshaun WatsonHis week included meetings with NFL investigators, and he played golf in the Bahamas along with his new Browns teammate.
Next week, he will be back on the field and subject to greater scrutiny.
HBO’s “Real Sports” with Bryant Gumbel interviewed some of those women who accuse Cleveland’s quarterback of sexual misconduct in massage therapy sessions.
A release by the network said that “a few” of the women would “detail the alleged abuses they suffered and share their reactions about Watson’s record-breaking $230M contract with the network Cleveland Browns.” The show will air Tuesday.
Watson signed in March with the Browns and has denied any wrongdoing.
He is currently facing civil lawsuits from 22 women who claim that he behaved inappropriately when they gave him massages. Watson admitted that one of his clients was crying after a massage session, in a deposition made public this week. He texted her to apologize.
Watson has been cleared of any criminal charges by Texas Grand Juries. However, he could be subject to punishment from the NFL.
The league wants to find out if he has violated its personal conduct policy. Watson was interviewed by several league investigators in Houston this week.
This interview may indicate that the league is nearing completion of its investigation into Watson’s conduct. Multiple times Commissioner Roger Goodell stated that there was no timeline for Watson’s discipline.
An ex-U.S. District Court Judge Sue Robinson was jointly appointed by the league, players’ association and league to review the league findings and determine if Watson has violated the league policy.
Brian McCarthy, a spokesperson for the NFL, told the AP that “the review continues and is active.”
Watson invited more than two dozen offensive teammates to the Bahamas for bonding, despite his legal entanglement. Watson was filmed making a long putt on Friday while playing golf.
Watson has been attending Cleveland’s voluntary offseason program for the past month. He’s expected at the team’s training facility, Berea, Ohio on Monday, when organized team activities resume.
Watson has not spoken to media since his March 25 introductory news conference. It was a week after Watson was convinced to waive his No-Trade clause by the Browns and signed a historic, fully guaranteed contract.