The Cleveland Browns made a high-risk, high-reward move this offseason by acquiring Deshaun Watson in a trade with the Houston Texans. Although his talent is undeniable, there’s a lot of baggage that comes with the Pro Bowl quarterback.
Before the Browns acquired Watson, he was dealing with 22 civil lawsuits alleging sexual assault or misconduct during massage sessions.
According to Browns assistant wide receivers coach Callie Brownson, the organization consulted its female employees prior to finalizing the trade for Watson.
“We had a lot of really healthy conversations and I appreciated that,” Brownson told Marla Ridenour of the Akron Beacon Journal. “I definitely felt like they cared about the opinions of the women in this organization. It was not neglected; it was not overlooked. They definitely spoke to those who would be involved in the organization to see what that meant.”
A recent story from the New York Times stated that Watson received massages from 66 different women during a 17-month span.
It’s also important to note that Watson has been hit with two additional lawsuits. The total count is up to 24 now.
Watson may end up being suspended this upcoming season because of his alleged behavior off the field. Nonetheless, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com has reported that the Browns are still “all in” on their star quarterback.