Deshaun Watson will not face discipline at this time as a result of the latest allegations made against him.
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is an analyst the Cleveland Browns for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
New allegations of sexual assault against Deshaun Watson dating to 2020 will not land him on the commissioner’s exempt list because he was not charged with a crime.
The exempt list keeps a player off a team’s roster, with pay, until the commissioner decides discipline for a league violation. Browns rookie defensive tackle Michael Hall Jr. has been on the exempt list since August 27 after a charge of domestic violence by his fiancée.
But the NFL will review the new complaint against Watson and determine if it was a violation of the league personal conduct policy, according to Brian McCarthy, NFL vice president of communications.
The complaint was made in a civil suit filed in Houston on Monday by a woman who says Watson “roughly sexually assaulted” her in her apartment while she was getting ready to go on a date with Watson.
The woman, known as Jane Doe in the suit, is represented by lawyer Tony Buzbee, who also represented most of 23 massage therapists who accused Watson of inappropriate behavior and reached financial settlements with Watson.
Those settlements resulted in Watson’s league suspension of 11 games in 2022, a $5 million fine and order to receive behavioral counseling.
The new allegations came a day after Watson had a miserable season debut in a 33-17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. It was Watson’s first game since suffering a season-ending shoulder injury on November 13.
A Browns spokesperson said in a statement, “We will respect the due process our legal system affords regarding the recently filed civil suit and follow the NFL’s guidelines on this matter.”
Brownie bits
The Browns signed receiver Kadarius Toney to the practice squad and released cornerback Justin Hardee and receiver Tulu Griffin. Toney was a first-round draft pick of the Giants in 2021 and played for the Chiefs the past two seasons. In 32 career NFL games, Toney has 82 receptions for 760 yards and 3 touchdowns. His 65-yard punt return in Super Bowl 57 is the longest in Super Bowl history …
The Washington Commanders waived kicker Cade York, thereby negating the conditional trade with the Browns. The Commanders recoup their seventh-round pick in the 2025 draft.