BEREA, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – A day after a 23rd woman filed a lawsuit against Deshaun Watson, accusing the quarterback of sexual misconduct during therapeutic massage sessions, Watson and his Browns teammates were on the field preparing for the upcoming season.
No one knows if or when Watson will even be able to play this year.
More accusations mean more questions, but Watson’s teammates and coaches are doing all they can to steer clear of the controversy that surrounds their new leader.
“It isn’t any of my business,” All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett said. “That’s all him and what I see in the media, where he’s pressed by y’all, I try to keep my nose out of it. I don’t try to put my eyes on it. The only thing that matters to me is if he’s playing every game and how we can overcome the … and what we need to do to step up as a defense if he isn’t.”
Head coach Kevin Stefanski continues to sidestep questions about the accusations made against his new $230 million franchise quarterback while a potential 24th lawsuit against Watson could be on the way.
“I am going to let the legal proceedings play out, and I am respectful of that process,” Stefanski said.
“I think it goes back to the work we did prior to this. We have covered that, but I will just continue to let the proceedings play out.”
For Stefanski, and the Browns, there just isn’t much more for them to say.
The NFL is continuing their investigation into the allegations, and last week NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said the league as nearing the end of their process, but it is unclear how much the new accusations affect their timeline.
While nearly two dozen women accuse Watson of impropriety, his new teammates and coaches heap praise on Watson – the player and the person.
“I think he's a great guy,” tight end David Njoku, who just signed a four-year, $56.75 million contract extension, said noting the offense’s trip to the Bahamas Watson recently paid for.
Watson’s talent and work ethic have drawn respect and admiration from everyone.
“He puts the work in,” offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt said.
“He's very dynamic. The accuracy and the arm strength are two of the things that stand out the most. His football knowledge is vast. He's learning our system as we go, but you can tell he's got a lot of football experience in his body. He's fun to watch, and this is just in settings of controlled pockets. But going back and watching the tape, he's obviously a tremendous player outside the pocket as well when he extends plays.”
Watching Watson throw a football is like watching Picasso paint. It’s a work of art seeing the ball effortlessly float in a tight spiral on target off his fingertips throw after throw after throw.
But football isn’t the issue at hand.
Watson’s character, which has been tarnished by these accusations, is.
“It does, but I don’t know what happened. You don’t know what happened. No one in this room really knows what happened, other than the people that were involved,” Garrett said when asked if character matters. “I can’t move one way or the other, based on hearsay. So, I just have to move with the character of the man that I know from day to day, and it’s a good guy from what I’ve seen, from what I’ve played against and from what I’ve see in the building.
“I’m not the judge. I’m not the jury or the executioner. I’m here to play a game and whether we agree or disagree with who he is off the field, that’s yet to be seen. But as far as the guy I know on the field, he’s special.”
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