Deshaun Watson, who had requested a trade from the Houston Texans under the multiple lawsuits alleging sexual assault and inappropriate behavior were recorded against the quarterback, needs to join the Denver Broncos, former teammate Kareem Jackson said on a podcast.
“I’ve got a great relationship with Deshaun,” Jackson, who plays for the Broncos, told former NFL player Aqib Talib on his “Catchin’ Fades” podcast. “I’ve been talking to him the last couple of weeks, man, and like, all he’s been telling me is like, ‘Jack, just tell ’em, like, that’s where I want to be.’ … He’s like, ‘I want to be in Denver.'”
Watson hasn’t appeared for Houston’s voluntary organized team activities. The Texans on Wednesday dropped their June 15-17 mandatory minicamp, which means Watson can’t be fined for missing any spring exercises since nothing was required.
He would have been liable to a $95,877 fine on the off chance that he had missed an mandatory three-day minicamp.
Jackson, who was a colleague of Watson’s in Houston during the 2017 and 2018 seasons, revealed to Talib that Watson wanted him to tell the Broncos’ front office that he’s interested in playing for them.
“Listen, man, tell them I want to be in Denver,” Jackson said Watson told him.
Two months in the wake of requesting an trade since he purportedly wasn’t content with the manner in which Houston handled the search for its general manager, the first of 23 lawsuits was recorded against him. There are presently 22 dynamic lawsuits alleging sexual assault and improper conduct by Watson.
Legal advisors are going through the discovery phase, and the two sides have said there are no settlement discussions. As indicated by the agenda for the case, if these lawsuits proceed to trial, depositions are set to start in September. The offended parties would be dismissed before Watson, who can’t be deposed before Feb. 22, 2022.
The NFL is conducting its own investigation concerning the lawsuits.
Watson is scheduled to make $10.5 million of every 2021 on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract. Due to the agreement extension he signed in September 2020, Watson’s salary jumps to $35 million out of 2022.
The Broncos presently have quarterbacks Teddy Bridgewater and Drew Lock on their list, while Houston has Tyrod Taylor and Davis Mills.