Final two civil lawsuits alleging assault against Browns QB Deshaun Watson dismissed

The last two civil lawsuits that alleged Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson of sexual assault have been dismissed, according to the Associated Press. Watson was facing nearly 30 civil lawsuits from women accusing him of sexual misconduct, and the last two dismissals cleared him of the legal problems he had been facing since 2021.

At that time, Watson was the starting quarterback for the Houston Texans, and 27 women accused him of exposing himself, touching them with his genitals, or kissing them against their will during massage appointments. The Associated Press believes that Watson has no other lawsuits pending in connection with the sexual misconduct allegations.

Deshaun Watson has denied any wrongdoing, and two separate grand juries in Texas declined to indict him. In July 2022, 30 women who had accused the Texans of ignoring the allegations against Watson settled their legal claims against the team. Most of the lawsuits against Watson were settled in 2022.

When Watson was traded to the Browns in 2022, he was suspended for the first 11 games for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. He was then fined $5 million and underwent evaluation before the NFL reinstated him.

Will Deshaun Watson be the Browns’ starting QB in 2026?

In the trade for Watson, the Browns gave up their first-round draft picks in 2022, 2023, and 2024. Cleveland then signed the former Clemson QB to a newly-guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract, making it the largest guaranteed contract in NFL history at the time.

The trade and signing of Watson haven’t worked out for the Browns. The 30-year-old has played in just 19 games in four seasons due to suspensions and injuries, and has posted a 9-10 record in those 19 games.

The 2026 season should be a pivotal one for Watson. The Browns have a new head coach in Todd Monken, and Shedeur Sanders finished the 2025 season as the Browns’ starting QB. With that and his lack of consistency, Watson will likely have to battle to be QB1 for the 2026 season.

The Texans selected Watson in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft, and he became one of the top QBs in the league. He was selected to the Pro Bowl three times (2018-2020), led the NFL in passing yards, and was selected to the PFWA All-Rookie Team in 2017.