Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski is not saying much on his thoughts of the sexual misconduct allegations against new quarterback Deshaun Watson. Following a New York Times report on Tuesday that revealed a history of Watson hiring of massage therapists and with two more civil cases emerging against the star QB, Stefanski is taking a tight-lipped approach.
On Wednesday, Stefanski replied to questions on the situation, saying, “I think for me, I’m going to be respectful of the investigation, of the legal proceedings and let that play out.”
Watson now has 24 civil cases for sexual misconduct filed against him, following the addition of two more lawsuits filed in the past week. Stefanski has steered clear of the situation, reiterating that he will defer to the legal results.
When asked about whether the additional accusations will impact Watson’s contract, Stefanski said, “We’re here making sure we get a good practice in; the guys did a nice job out there today. I’m not going to comment past that. We’ll be respectful of the process, be respectful of the legal proceedings.”
The New York Times report states that Watson hired at least 66 female massage therapists from fall of 2019 to spring of 2021. The report states, “most of the women Watson saw for massages did not sue or call the police … even some who did not complain said Watson came looking for sex,” but many found the number of therapists hired in the span concerning.
Watson denies any wrongdoing.
This off-season, Watson was traded from the Houston Texans to the Browns and signed a fully guaranteed $230 million contract. Watson is expected to be suspended by the league and with uncertainty surrounding Baker Mayfield‘s future in Cleveland, there are also questions of who will be the Browns quarterback for the start of the season.
