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Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson will soon have another civil lawsuit filed against him.
Tony Buzbee, the lawyer representing all the women suing Watson, told Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com that a 24th civil lawsuit will be filed against the quarterback on Monday by another massage therapist who bequeath sexual misconduct during her previous dates.
The news comes three days after a 23-year-old woman, Nia Smith, filed a civil lawsuit against Watson in Texas alleging sexual misconduct.
According to ESPN’s Jake Trotter, Smith changed his mind about suing Marshal Ashley Solis and Kyla Hayes on HBO. Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel and condemned the Browns to sign him on a five-year deal with a $ 230 million NFL record guaranteed.
Solis and Hayes have filed lawsuits against Watson for sexual misconduct.
Watson’s attorney, Rusty Hardin, later said in a statement that the quarterback “vehemently denies Smith’s allegations.”
Two grand jurors in Texas refused to charge Watson in March with nine of the 10 criminal charges of sexual assault or misconduct, and prosecutors failed to file a tenth complaint with the grand jury.
About a week later, the Houston Texans traded him to the Browns.
The NFL is still in the process of completing its investigation into the allegations and Watson could be suspended under the league’s personal conduct policy.
“I think we’re nearing the end of the investigation period,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said late last month. “Then our disciplinary officer will take over.”
There is no schedule for announcing league conclusions.
If available, Watson will be the Browns starting quarterback when the team opens the 2022 regular season against the Carolina Panthers on September 11th.
If Watson is suspended, Cleveland could turn to Baker Mayfield as long as the franchise does not transfer him this summer or Mayfield does not hold out after requesting that he be traded. The team also signed Jacoby Brissett to free agency this offseason.
Watson hasn’t played any NFL games since the 2020 season after requesting a change to the Texans and leaving out the entire 2021 campaign amid allegations.