After the Browns’ first game of the 2024 NFL regular season, an unidentified woman filed a civil lawsuit alleging sexual assault against Cleveland quarterback Deshaun Watson.
On September 10th, the NFL opened an investigation into the latest allegations against Watson, reviewing the complaint to see what – if any – action to take against the player.
The controversy surrounding that allegation swirled for several weeks as the Browns continued to play Watson during the next six games.
Nearly three months after the initial word broke of new allegations against him, the NFL reached a conclusion to its investigation according to Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot.
“The NFL has closed its review of Deshaun Watson’s case, a league spokesman told clevelanddotcom. There was insufficient evidence to support a finding of a violation of the personal conduct policy,” Cabot wrote.
The #NFL has closed its review of Deshaun Watson's case, a league spokesman told clevelanddotcom. There was insufficient evidence to support a finding of a violation of the personal conduct policy.
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) December 6, 2024
The Browns have withheld public comments during the NFL’s investigation, allowing the league to take charge in this situation.
Cleveland stood behind Watson, keeping the quarterback on the field despite the allegations he faced in civil court.
Watson’s season ended against the Cincinnati Bengals as he suffered an Achilles injury, sidelining the player for the rest of this year.
The quarterback’s return for next year remains unclear as little information on his recovery has been made public.
Cleveland acquired Watson in 2022 for three first-round draft picks and multiple other picks, hoping that the player would become the franchise’s long-term solution at the position.
Watson sat much of his first season with the Browns as he was suspended for previous alleged misconduct off the field by multiple women during his time with the Houston Texans.
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