(SportsRadio 610) -- While the Texans are saying as little as possible about the ongoing sexual misconduct cases against Deshaun Watson, it appears they have made moves behind the scenes.
Sports Illustrated released a detailed report Friday aimed at clarifying information that has been either misleading or imprecise. The SI piece also focuses on contextualizing the power dynamics of a high-profile professional athlete, a lesser known massage therapist and the occupation's conflation with sex work.
Last week, attorneys for both Watson and the 22 plaintiffs suing him traded jabs denying they initiated settlement talks.
SI reports it was an attorney representing Texans CEO and chairman Cal McNair who approached both attorneys, seeking to broker a mediation.
McNair was aware of the communication, but not personally involved in the discussions, according to a team statement provided to SI.
It's unclear how far those discussions went, but they appear to have broken down based on the subsequent lawyer statements.
Other information reported by SI:
- Ashley Solis, the first woman to file a lawsuit against Watson, reached out to a veteran therapist expressing concern about Watson's behavior the day after their appointment on March 30, 2020, before any litigation.
- There were warnings about Watson circling around the massage therapy community, some of them more serious than others. Two licensed massage therapists "told SI they were warned last year by others in their profession about Watson’s inappropriate conduct, including his making sexually explicit motions on the table or insisting on using a small towel that would inadequately cover his genital area, rather than the standard massage draping."
- One person SI reports has close ties to the Texans says a member of the team's medical staff expressed concern last year after being told Watson was seeking out therapists on Instagram.