The Houston Texans settled with 30 women over the franchise’s alleged role in the sexual misconduct claims made against quarterback Deshaun Watson.
The Texans confirmed the settlement to Front Office Sports shortly after Tony Buzbee, the attorney for the accusers, announced the deal in a news release on Friday. Watson — who was traded to the Cleveland Browns in March — awaits a decision on whether he will be suspended for the upcoming season.
“Although our organization did not have any knowledge of Deshaun Watson’s alleged misconduct, we have intentionally chosen to resolve this matter amicably,” majority owner Janice McNair, CEO Cal McNair, and his wife, Hannah, said in a joint statement distributed by the Texnas. “This is not an admission of any wrongdoing, but instead a clear stand against any form of sexual assault and misconduct.
“We hope that today’s resolution will provide some form of closure to the parties involved, our fans and the Houston community at large. As an organization, we will now turn our focus to the future and do what we can to ensure respect for all.”
Terms of the settlement were not released. Only one of the accusers had sued the Texans for negligence, a lawsuit that Buzbee said will be “dismissed with prejudice as soon as the appropriate settlement paperwork is complete.”
The settlement includes women who have not sued Watson. Watson previously settled with 20 of 24 accusers.
