A months-long probe into the latest sexual assault lawsuit against Deshaun Watson officially closed on Friday after the NFL confirmed to The Athletic that the Cleveland Browns quarterback will not face discipline due to a lack of evidence.
“There was insufficient evidence to support a finding of a violation of the personal conduct policy,” an NFL spokesperson said, confirming the original report from Cleveland.com.
The lawsuit, filed a day after the Browns season opener on Sept. 8, marked the 25th time Watson, 29, faced legal action over accusations of sexual assault and misconduct in the past two years. Watson and his defense team agreed to a confidential settlement with the plaintiff in October, but the QB remained under review by the league for potentially violating the personal conduct policy.
According to the lawsuit, Watson allegedly sexually assaulted a woman at her apartment while on a date in October 2020. The suit also claimed Watson “aggressively” yelled and screamed at her on the phone before arriving and later tried to force her to massage him before she managed to escape with a piece of furniture for self-defense.
Prior to the September lawsuit, Watson settled 23 of 24 lawsuits with over two dozen women who accused him of sexual misconduct; an investigation by the NFL eventually resulted in an 11-game suspension in 2022.
Watson, who’s under contract with the Browns through 2026, is currently on injured reserve after suffering a torn Achilles in Week 7.
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