Watson lawsuits loom as ‘albatross’ for Texans QB, lawyer says

Image by Arek Socha from Pixabay 

By David Barron

Three lawsuits filed against Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson may have been timed to place maximum pressure on Watson to settle out of court as he tries to leave Houston for another NFL team, a Texas trial attorney said.

The lawsuits, filed in Harris County district court on behalf of women who operate massage therapy businesses in Houston and Atlanta, loom as an “albatross” for Watson’s reputation and, perhaps, his career options, said Dallas attorney Rogge Dunn.

“Most of these cases are settled quietly out of court,” Dunn said. “But in terms of the concept of buying silence, that genie is now out of the bottle.

“The reputational damage has been suffered by Watson, and the question is does he go all the way to try to prove his innocence and risk that he loses? That can be a time-consuming and expensive process.”

The eventual outcome, Dunn said, “may depend on who has the mental and economic stamina to go the distance.”

The lawsuits were filed to coincide with the beginning of NFL free agency and the beginning of the new NFL operations calendar for the 2021 season. Watson is not a free agent, and the Texans have said publicly that they are not interested in trading the quarterback.

Watson on Sunday said he learned of the first of the pending lawsuits but had not seen it. He denied the allegations and said he rejected “a baseless six-figure settlement demand.” 

The allegations against Watson are said to have taken place in March 2020 and December 2020, in the case of the Houston womrn, and in August 2020, in the case of the Atlanta woman.

Filing suit months later at a critical date on the NFL calendar, Dunn said, proves the adage that timing can be key in legal matters.

“It seems to me that the timing was calculated,” Dunn said. “Some NFL teams may say they don’t want to touch him while this is pending and that he should get it resolved. This is baggage for him, and the timing of the lawsuit could be a strategic play.”

In two of the cases, Watson is accused of touching the masseuse with his penis and that he “committed civil assault” on the women, the lawsuit alleges. The third lawsuit, involving one of the licensed massage therapists from Houston, alleges that Watson forced the woman to perform oral sex.

Two of the lawsuits refer to Instagram exchanges with the women that Dunn said could be critical evidence if the case goes to trial.

“Documents and texts created contemporaneously with the events in issue are powerful pieces of evidence,” Dunn said. “To the extent that the texts say what they are alleged to have said, that would be strong circumstantial evidence that this wasn’t a typical massage.”

The suits were filed by Houston attorney Tony Buzbee. Watson is represented by Houston attorney Rusty Hardin.