Deshaun Watson vehemently denies the accusation of sexual assault

“We ask people to be patient while the legal process takes its course. In the meantime, Deshaun will focus his energy and concentration on football.”

Watson was sued by a Houston woman on Monday. According to the complaint, posted on cleveland.com, Watson went to the woman's apartment and unexpectedly undressed. He lay down on her bed and demanded a massage.

“While Jane Doe stood there in shock, Watson turned his head and aggressively insisted that she massage him, pointing to his buttocks, the lawsuit states. “Jane Doe asked if Watson meant that he wanted her to massage his back, but Watson indicated that he wanted to massage his buttocks. Jane Doe was frightened at this point in the encounter.”

Watson was upset by the weak massage and sexually assaulted the woman, the filing says.

The plaintiff's attorney, Tony Buzbee, said he tried to reach a settlement for 10 months before suing Watson this week.

“We have been reaching out to Attorney Rusty Hardin's office for 10 months to resolve this case,” Buzbee said in a statement. “We knew this case was the most serious and egregious yet brought against Watson, and our client, who is rightly traumatized by these events, wanted to attempt a private resolution.”

Watson referred to his lawyer's statement to the Cleveland media on Wednesday, saying he was “surprised” by the accusation.

“The statement expresses exactly how I feel,” Watson said, strongly denying allegations that he sexually harassed a woman in 2020.

The NFL does not plan Watson is on the commissioner's exempt list in light of the new civil lawsuit because there are no criminal charges and the league's review has only just begun, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported.

“We are reviewing the complaint and will investigate the matter under the rules of conduct,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a statement.

The league has suspended Watson for 11 games in 2022 for violating the rules of conduct. Deshaun Watson settled 23 of 24 lawsuits against him in 2022 after two dozen women accused him of sexual assault and harassment during massage therapy sessions.

When asked why he thought this kept happening and why numerous lawsuits had been filed against him, Watson said he didn't know.

“I’m in the same boat as you, boss,” he said.

Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said Watson will still play on Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars. When asked about the new lawsuit, he referred to a team statement released on Tuesday.

“We will follow due process and NFL policies,” said Stefanski, who added that he was unaware of the allegations against Watson before filing the lawsuit.

The Browns lost 33-17 at home to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. The final score was no real indication of how poorly Cleveland played. At one point in the game, 50 percent of the Browns' plays resulted in zero or fewer yards.

Watson had a miserable performance, completing 24 of 45 passes (53.3%) for 169 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions and a quarterback rating of 51.1. He was also sacked six times. Cowboys All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons had one sack and a whopping five quarterback hits.

According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the latest lawsuit could potentially allow the Browns to walk away from Watson's $230 million guaranteed contract. The Browns could void the remaining guarantees in his contract if Watson does not tell them about this allegation. When he signed his contract, Watson was required to provide the team with a list of all of his allegations in writing. The Browns cannot penalize Watson if he lists the allegation.

The Browns could also void the remaining guarantees in Watson's contract if the league suspends him because of the new allegation.