Texans, others to be added as defendants in lawsuits against Browns’ Deshaun Watson

Earlier on Wednesday, Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski refused to offer any meaningful comment about Tuesday’s bombshell New York Times story that claims star quarterback Deshaun Watson arranged for massage appointments with at least 66 different women from fall 2019 through spring 2021.

Watson is facing 24 active civil lawsuits regarding allegations of sexual misconduct during massage sessions, and ESPN’s Sarah Barshop reports that Tony Buzbee, the attorney representing the 24 plaintiffs suing Watson, said on Wednesday afternoon his firm will “soon be joining the Houston Texans organization and others as defendants” in the civil suits.

Houston dealt Watson to Cleveland in March after he sat through the entire 2021 campaign following an offseason trade request. 

Per Barshop, the New York Times reported that Texans director of security Brent Naccara presented Watson with a nondisclosure agreement given to some of the plaintiffs, and also that the Texans provided a room for the 26-year-old at The Houstonian hotel where massages in question occurred.

“What has become clear is that the Houston Texans organization and their contracting ‘massage therapy company’ facilitated Deshaun Watson’s conduct,” Buzbee said in a statement shared by Barshop. “In many of these cases, the Texans provided the opportunity for this conduct to occur. We believe the Texans organization was well aware of Watson’s issues, but failed to act. They knew or certainly should have known.

“We intend to make sure all involved in Watson’s conduct are held accountable, in addition to and including Watson himself.”