Deshaun Watson’s Latest Admission Won’t Help His Case For Playing In The 2022 Season

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  • Deshaun Watson admits, through his lawyer, that three instances in his sexual harassment case ended in consensual sex
  • While not illegal, it might not help his case for the upcoming season
  • Read more NFL news here

Things continue to look bleak for Deshaun Watson and his playing status leading up to the 2022 NFL season. The troubled Cleveland quarterback’s latest admission in regard to his pending sexual misconduct case won’t improve his standing.

In an interview with HBO’s ‘Real Sports’, Watson’s lawyer, Leah Graham, noted that the football star did in fact have consensual sexual encounters with three of the 22 massage therapists. Take a listen.

It picks up near the end of the interview, right around the 16-minute mark. Graham is asked about the three instances, and this was her response.

“Well, in every massage I will tell you he did go, intending just for a professional massage, and only those three instances where sexual conduct occurred – consensual sexual activity – it occurred after the massage session had ended. Mr. Watson has testified and is insistent that the sexual activity was initiated by the plaintiff in every single instance.”

Latest admission could affect Deshaun Watson’s playing status

These three cases, even if consensual as Watson and his team allege, could potentially harm his status for the upcoming season rather than help.

We’ve already been through the oddity of having 22 (and many more) different massage therapists for one single player. To then have multiple experiences where those professional encounters end in some form of sex is headscratching.

It could also paint a picture of Watson intending or expecting these sessions to end with sex. The fact that he’s reaching out to dozens of women, particularly when he has access to any service that he’d need, would lead some to believe that he was searching for something more than a massage.

Watson was finding women on social media rather than through team or league avenues, seeking out private encounters for these professional sessions. And with the majority of these accusations reporting that the quarterback attempted to nudge the massages in a sexual direction, an admission that three instances led to sex won’t help his case.

The NFL is still investigating before handing down any suspensions. We’ve heard rumors of a year-long punishment in 2022, or even 2023. This after Watson missed the entire 2021 campaign with the Texans.

We’ll see if this has any effect on Watson’s status for the upcoming year.