Deshaun Watson’s legal drama just won’t let up. While the Cleveland Browns QB’s trying to make a comeback on-field, off it? Another storm’s brewing—and it’s getting messy.

National trial lawyer Tony Buzbee’s back in the spotlight, dropping a bombshell on Instagram. Buzbee, who’s represented multiple women in their lawsuits, didn’t hold back this time. In his IG post, the attorney revealed his team spent ten months trying to settle a sexual misconduct case quietly. The victim, “rightly traumatized,” sought a private resolution, but Watson’s camp either ignored them or didn’t give the case the attention it deserved. Now? It’s too late for settlements. 

This case, Buzbee says, is “the most serious and egregious” Watson’s faced so far. The lawyer made it clear they’re charging ahead toward a jury trial, with all the heat on the Brown’s QB. His post read: “We reached out to attorney Rusty Hardin’s office for ten months in an attempt to resolve this case. We knew this case was the most serious and egregious case brought against Watson to date and our client, who is rightly traumatized by these events, wanted to attempt a private resolution.”

Buzbee didn’t mince words in calling out Watson’s defense. He suggested that Watson’s memory might be conveniently “foggy” because of the sheer number of women he’s been involved with. In Buzbee’s words, “Mr. Watson was well aware of this victim and her claims immediately after it occurred… I can understand, given the number of women that he has interacted with, that he could forget some or many of them. However, given the nature of the alleged conduct in this case, I expect this incident is something he wouldn’t soon forget.”

Watson, on the other hand, seems unfazed by the chaos. When asked about the lawsuits stacking up, he replied, “I’m in the same boat as you, boss man.” NFL writer Zac Jackson quoted the 28-year-old, saying, “I found out through media, it popped up on my phone. So I called my attorneys.” Watson’s camp appears caught off guard once again.

It’s not clear whether the Clemson Tigers standout disclosed the latest allegations to the NFL or the Browns before the lawsuit hit the courts in Harris County, Texas. The Browns—who made a massive investment in Watson (remember that fully guaranteed $230M contract?)—are playing it safe. In a statement, the team said, “We will respect the due process our legal system affords regarding the recently filed civil suit and follow the NFL’s guidelines on this matter.” 

As this latest case moves forward, the NFL’s investigating the new lawsuit. 

Deshaun Watson dodges exempt list despite new lawsuit

With yet another civil case looming on the horizon, Deshaun Watson managed to evade the commissioner’s exempt list—at least for the time being.

The new accusation of sexual assault and abuse has added further chaos to Watson’s off-field affairs. Yet, the NFL isn’t sitting on its hands. “We are reviewing the complaint and will look into the matter under the Personal Conduct Policy,” they said, maintaining a composed and official tone. According to Jane Doe, the plaintiff, the incident occurred in 2020 while Watson was still in Houston. This ain’t his first legal rodeo—he missed the entire 2021 season due to multiple allegations and settled 23 out of 24 cases.

The Browns traded away three first-round picks for Watson, but it’s been a rough ride. He’s only played 13 games and is still recovering from a shoulder injury. His latest? A tough day—24-of-45, one TD, two picks, and six sacks in a 33-17 loss to Dallas. Not the franchise QB stats Cleveland was banking on. 

The NFL could still slap him with the exempt list—aka paid leave—but for now, Watson’s gearing up to start Week 2 against Jacksonville. Get ready, for this story is far from finished!