The fate of Deshaun Watson’s 2022 season could be in the hands of a Texas grand jury.
According to lawyer Tony Buzbee, two of his clients have been told by prosecutors to be ready to speak to a grand jury in January.
It is possible more of his clients will speak before the grand jury. The case is being handled by the District Chief of the Sex Crimes Division and the District Chief of the Juvenile Sex Crimes Division.
If Watson is indicted on anything, he will likely be suspended with pay until the legal case is settled.
If he isn’t indicted, a settlement will likely happen in the offseason. Buzbee explained to the League of Justice why settlement talks fell apart during the week of the trade deadline.
“The money wasn’t the problem, the NDA was what killed the deal,” said Buzbee who said the terms of each deal were different but the contingency that all women sign an NDA led to the talks falling apart. Buzbee said initially Watson’s camp wanted all twenty-two women to sign NDAs, then were willing to settle for twenty of them signing and then eighteen and then the deadline passed and the talks ceased.
Reached by phone Monday, Hardin also confirmed that the talks ended after the trade deadline passed.
“All that went out the door when the trade deadline passed so no, there are no settlement talks going on.”
While Buzbee wouldn’t comment on how much money was being offered, BSO sources say it could have been anywhere between $1-5 million to make all the cases disappear.
Watson’s lawyer Rusty Hardin says if Watson were to be indicted, he would help him fight those charges as well.
The question begs, should Watson just have dropped his demand for the NDAs. If the women settled the cases, they would be less likely to pursue a criminal one.
Flip the pages for some of the docs the cops are considering in charging Watson.