A Houston-area grand jury chose not to charge Deshaun Watson, ending the criminal case against him after several massage therapists accused him of sexual misconduct.
More than 20 sexual abuse lawsuits against Watson are still ongoing, but it appears teams are more interested in Watson now that he won’t be criminally charged. The “trade market for Deshaun Watson now is expected to ramp up, quickly,” according to an ESPN report after the grand jury news broke. Teams shied away from dealing for Watson in 2021, creating a bizarre situation where he refused to play for the Texans amid a trade demand he had made before the allegations became public.
Watson could still be suspended over the conduct described by the massage therapists, who say he was a “serial predator” who sexually harassed and assaulted them after booking appointments. But a Harris County prosecutor said Friday the grand jury decision meant the criminal case against Watson was over.
Friday, the league essentially said it was still in a holding pattern. The NFL said in a statement that it has “been closely monitoring all developments in the matter which remains under review of the personal conduct policy.”
Several teams desperately need a quarterback, and Watson would be a major upgrade for several more. But the Giants have said already that they won’t be playing in the Watson sweepstakes.
“We’re not trading for Deshaun Watson,” co-owner John Mara said in January. “There’s so many reasons why we wouldn’t do that. For cap reasons we couldn’t afford it but more importantly with the allegations that are out there, it’s just not the right thing for us.”
