A second grand jury in Texas is declining to indict Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson over an accusation of sexual misconduct, the Brazoria County district attorney said Thursday.
Tom Selleck, the county’s district attorney, said in a statement Thursday that the “matter is closed.”
“After a careful and thorough review of the facts and evidence documented in the reports prepared by the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office and the Houston Police Department, as well as hearing testimony from witnesses, the Grand Jury for Brazoria County has declined to charge Deshaun Watson with any crimes,” Selleck said in a statement.
The news Thursday afternoon came after reports in the morning that a second grand jury was considering a criminal complaint against the embattled quarterback.
About two weeks ago, a Houston grand jury declined to indict Watson on nine criminal complaints. The 26-year-old quarterback, who sat out the entire 2021 season, has been accused by 22 women of sexual assault and sexual misconduct and still faces a suit by the women in civil court. Watson and his lawyers have denied the allegations.
The complaint that the grand jury recently reviewed was originally included in the 10 that were filed with the Houston Police Department, but it was later determined that the alleged incident occurred outside of the Harris County district attorney’s jurisdiction.
After the first grand jury declined to indict Watson earlier this month, teams started making their pitches to the Texans for the three-time Pro Bowl quarterback. Watson, who led Houston to the playoffs in 2018 and 2019, is considered one of the top young quarterbacks in the NFL, alongside Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson.
The Browns, Panthers, Saints and Falcons all expressed interest in trading for Watson, and he chose Cleveland as his new home. After the trade, the Browns signed Watson to a record-breaking five-year, $230 million contract that is fully guaranteed.
He passed his physical on Thursday, and the team will introduce him during a press conference on Friday.
• Jacob Calvin Meyer can be reached at jmeyer@washingtontimes.com.
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