Houston Texans quarterback faces 22 counts of sexual misconduct and sexual assault
HOUSTON - The Harris County district attorney on Friday presented the case against Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson to a grand jury. Watson is facing 22 counts of sexual misconduct and sexual assault since multiple complaints were filed last year.
According to Watson's attorney, Rusty Hardin, Watson will exercise his Fifth Amendment right (not to plead guilty) when he is due to make his first statement in a civil lawsuit. Hardin also expected to delay the statement until Monday, but the claim was denied.
According to the New York Times, Hardin is "delighted" that the grand jury will address the case before the start of free agency and is expected to make a decision before March 16.
"The time for free agency is near and we want that decision to be made by then and it looks like they're leaving and I'm welcoming that," Hardin told the Times. “There has never been any crime here, whether you call it obscene assault or anything else. These are civil matters which pertain to civil courts."
Watson has continued to deny any wrongdoing, and it is possible that the grand jury will decide not to indict him of any crime. One in 10 criminal complaints filed against Watson with Houston police have already passed the statute of limitations.
Several teams are reportedly interested in acquiring Watson and are monitoring the situation closely. With Aaron Rodgers' decision to remain with the Green Bay Packers, along with the Denver Broncos trading Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks, Watson has become the top available veteran quarterback for teams upgrading.
When asked about Watson's situation in Indianapolis last week, Texans' new coach Lowy Smith was noncommittal, but said both sides would "benefit from the situation" in the long run.
The district attorney investigating Deshaun Watson plans to present her case to a grand jury on Friday – the same day as Watson's civil deposition.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 8, 2022
Watson's attorney, Rusty Hardin, told me a request to delay the deposition until Monday was denied, so Watson will plead the fifth.
"All I know is that Deshaun is a great football player," Smith said. "Excellent football players need to play somewhere in the NFL. Hopefully that will happen and if it's not with us it's somewhere else."
"I can't wait for it to speed up a little bit more."
Watson last played in 2020, with Houston leading 4-12. They requested a trade after hiring general manager Nick Casario and then-coach David Cooley.
Before the end of the 2020 season, Watson agreed to a four-year $156 million extension, keeping him under contract until 2025. Watson led the league with 4,823 yards and scored 33 touchdowns against seven interceptions that season.