Deshaun Watson Accusers Deny Settlement: ‘Unless Terms are Made Public’

The Houston Texans are at a loss with quarterback Deshaun Watson, who faces accusations of sexual misconduct from 22 different women, and the legal battle keeps taking a turn for the worse. 

News released on Thursday indicated that Watson’s legal team, led by Rusty Hardin, would not be reaching a settlement with attorney Tony Buzbee — who represents the women accusing Watson — until “terms are made public,” and the NFL will be keeping Watson on the sidelines until the messy situation is made clear. 

According to Yahoo! Sports, Tony Buzbee and several of the accusers met with leaders of the NFL’s investigation team and demanded details of each story be made public, thus allowing the women to release their accounts against Watson.

In a statement obtained by OutKick, Rusty Hardin gave a conflicting account of the negotiations with Buzbee after Thursday’s update on the legal battle: 

“We certainly agree that there are currently no settlement negotiations being conducted. While we have never approached Mr. Buzbee about a settlement, he has approached us on numerous occasions in the past about the possibility of a settlement.”

Thin hopes of reaching a settlement or finding any resolve will keep the Texans QB away from the team by the time they face the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1. The three-time Pro Bowler’s NFL career may not even survive the legal obstacles ahead.  

Under rookie head coach David Culley and general manager Nick Caserio, the Texans' current options at quarterback include Tyrod Taylor, Davis Mills, and Ryan Finley. 

OutKick reached out to Tony Buzbee, the attorney for all 22 plaintiffs, and have not heard back by time of publication.