On Thursday, the NFL announced that it had reached a settlement on an 11-game suspension for Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson, nearly doubling the length of the initial ban handed down for violations of the league’s personal conduct policy.
In addition to the suspension, Watson will be fined $5 million and will have to participate in mandatory counseling.
Watson released a statement via the team after the settlement was announced, saying in part: “I apologize for any pain this situation has caused. I take accountability for the decisions I made.”
But when he addressed reporters minutes later, Watson showed little contrition, repeating multiple times that he would continue to “stand on [his] innocence.”
Watson indicated that he was not admitting to any wrongdoing in agreeing to the settlement. Rather, Watson said his impending suspension allowed him to move forward with his life and his career.
I’ve always said that I’ve never assaulted anyone or disrespected anyone, and I’m continuing to stand on that. But at the same time, I have to push forward in my life and in my career and for us to be able to forward, you know, I have to be able to take steps and put pride to the side.
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Watson routinely reiterated that his settlement with the league did not mean he was admitting to any misbehavior:
Just because settlements and things like that happen doesn’t mean that a person is guilty for anything. I feel like a person has the opportunity to stand on his innocence and prove that and we proved that on the legal side and we just got to continue to push for it as an individual and as a person.
His agent, David Mulugheta, reiterated that stance in a tweet later Thursday.
Deshaun has always stated he is innocent of sexual assault. Nothing has changed in what he said. He also said he is remorseful, the decisions he made have created this situation. The settlement allows him to move forward with his life and career.
— David Mulugheta (@DavidMulugheta) August 18, 2022
Watson also addressed Judge Sue Robinson’s description of his actions as “more egregious than any before reviewed by the NFL”:
I know who I am. I know what type of person I am. I know the character of person I was raised to be and I’ve always been so that’s the biggest thing for me is continue to show who Deshaun Watson really is and the people that meet me and that’s around me, they have figured out who I really am, too.
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Watson ended the presser by telling reporters that he planned on “telling [his] side of the story” at some point in the future:
I felt like through this whole process, we’ve been trying to tell my side of the story but a lot of people…didn’t pay too much attention to it. But one day we will, only time will tell.
Though Watson remains eligible to play in the preseason under the terms of the suspension, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters his QB would not appear in the team’s final two preseason games. Watson will not be eligible to return to the field until Week 13, when the Browns play his former team, the Texans, at NRG Stadium in Houston.
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