CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson will return to Houston Friday for more depositions related to the civil lawsuits filed against him by 22 women that allege sexual misconduct against him.
The alleged misconduct took place during therapeutic massage appointments that took place between 2020 into the spring of 2021 according to the lawsuits filed against Watson.
Following Monday’s hearing in a Houston courtroom, it doesn’t look like any of the 22 cases will go to trial until next spring at the earliest.
Lawyers from both parties previously agreed not to try cases between Aug. 1 and March 1 to allow Watson to focus on the season, his first with the Browns.
Watson has given depositions for seven of the plaintiffs. Friday he will give two more leaving 13 to be completed by a July 1 pretrial discovery deadline put in place Monday by Harris County Judge Rabeea Collier according to USA Today’s Brent Schrotenboer.
Schrotenboer reported that the judge suggested to the attorneys for both parties during Monday’s hearing that Watson be deposed on Saturdays, the depositions could be extended beyond two hours as to wrap them up faster and instead of sitting for two depositions at a time the parties could agree to have him sit for three per day.
The judge also ordered the plaintiffs to provide some mental health records to Watson’s defense lawyers by Friday because the women claimed they suffered emotional distress following their sessions with Watson.
The NFL is conducting their own investigation into the claims made against Watson to determine if Watson violated the league’s conduct policy, but it is unclear if Watson will be disciplined for the 2022 season.
Watson continues to participate in the Browns offseason training program taking place at the team’s training facility in Berea.
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