Ten women who made criminal complaints against Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson received subpoenas to appear before a grand jury.
In the context of a possible criminal case, there may be some clarity about Deshan Watson's status this week.
The New York Times reported Tuesday that 10 women who filed criminal complaints against the Houston Texans quarterback for sexual misconduct have received summons to appear before a grand jury on Friday. There were 22 civil cases filed against Watson last March, but no criminal charges have been officially filed.
That could change on Friday when the district attorney presents a criminal case, but Watson's attorney, Rusty Hardin, thinks his client, who allegedly misbehaved during massage sessions, will avoid charges.
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.
Hardin told The New York Times, "The agency's free time is near and we want that decision to be made by then and it looks like they're leaving and I'm welcoming it." Any crime here, whether you call it an indecent assault or anything else. These are civil cases which are in civil courts. ,
Speaking of this, Watson, a former Clemson quarterback, is scheduled to testify in civil court on the same day as the grand jury hearing, but Hardin said it would prove "useless" as he would plead guilty to Watson himself. It is advising to implement the Fifth Amendment to avoid being held up. , which may damage his civil case.
Watson, who did not play during the 2021 season, has been seeking trade from the Texans since last year, but after a lawsuit was filed, his departure from the franchise was put on hold. If no criminal charges are brought against him this week, it opens up an opportunity for the Texans to strike a deal with another team.
Watson is currently going to spend more than $40 million on the salary limit to Houston, so there's incentive to move before free agency begins on March 16. Aaron Rodgers is officially living in Green Bay and Russell Wilson is being traded from Seattle to Denver on Monday. Watson may be the most desirable quarterback on the market, but the price demanded by the Texans remains stagnant.
Friday should bring more clarity in his position. And Tony Buzby, the attorney for the lawsuit plaintiff, didn't want to delay the civil statement until Monday to await a criminal decision, according to a report from ProFootballTalk.com.