Other than to say it is looking into the matter, the NFL has mostly been quiet about the sexual harassment and assault allegations against Deshaun Watson.
Troy Vincent, the league’s executive vice president of football operations, changed that on Saturday. He went on Fox Sports Radio and addressed the 22 civil claims against the Texans’ star quarterback.
“I’m just praying for the young man, personally, today,” Vincent said. “I’m praying for him and his family. I’m praying for the young ladies that have come out. This is not good for anybody, forget the sport.
“But I think we’ve learned that every situation’s different. They’re delicate. You make sure that folks, whether it’s the accuser, the victim, whoever it may be, that there’s a due process in place. And I think we’ve learned that over time, not that we’ve rushed in the past, but I think we’ve learned from the different cases that we’ve seen with this particular subject matter, let the due process take care of itself, then that’s up to Lisa [Friel, NFL special counsel for investigations] and her team to now make the proper recommendations to what direction the commissioner and the commissioner’s office should take.”
It remains uncertain how the NFL will proceed, as the cases play themselves out and it is determined if a criminal case will be pursued. Watson has been steadfast in his innocence. Vincent did not say if Watson will be placed on the commissioner’s exempt list if the cases have not been settled, either by a settlement or verdict, by the time training camp begins.