Deshaun Watson moves past legal trouble as remaining civil lawsuits are dismissed, closing a long chapter

The long running civil legal saga involving Deshaun Watson has officially come to an end. According to USA Today, the final two civil lawsuits filed against the Cleveland Browns quarterback were dismissed before they could reach a courtroom. Both cases had been scheduled for trial in early 2026, but the plaintiffs chose to withdraw their claims before proceedings began.

With those dismissals finalized on January 6, Watson no longer faces any active civil lawsuits connected to the misconduct allegations that surfaced in 2021. While no settlement details were disclosed publicly, league observers widely expect the final cases were resolved privately, similar to most of the earlier lawsuits. The development closes a legal chapter that has followed Watson for nearly five years and shaped his career as much as his performance on the field.

How Deshaun Watson’s long legal chapter shaped his career and league decisions

A total of 27 women filed civil lawsuits accusing Watson of misconduct tied to private massage sessions that allegedly took place in 2020 and early 2021. At the time, Watson was still a member of the Houston Texans. Of those cases, 24 were resolved through confidential settlements, one was withdrawn shortly after being filed, and the final two were dismissed before trial. Prominent attorney Tony Buzbee represented nearly all of the plaintiffs, including one of the women involved in the last remaining cases.

The Texans also reached separate settlements with women who accused the organization of enabling Watson’s behavior or failing to intervene during that period. Those agreements allowed the franchise to move forward as scrutiny around the situation continued. Watson has consistently denied wrongdoing, maintaining that some encounters were consensual.

The National Football League reached a different conclusion following its own investigation, issuing Watson an 11 game suspension during the 2022 season. That discipline came even though criminal charges were never pursued.

Despite the off field controversy, the Texans traded Watson to the Cleveland Browns in one of the most significant deals in league history. Cleveland committed to a fully guaranteed five year, $230 million contract, a move that sparked debate across the league. The civil cases being closed, Watson is in the next stage of his career without ongoing legal actions connected with the misconduct accusations.


Get the latest ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 updates, including the full schedule, teams, live scores, points table, and key series stats such as top run-scorers and wicket-takers.