Thursday evening brought the NFL into more legal trouble from two of their largest pariahs over the last year.
According to reports, a 26th accuser has come forward and sued Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson for sexual misconduct during a massage in 2020. The lawsuit is not connected to the 24 previous lawsuits that were overseen by lawyer Tony Buzbee.
23 of the 24 original lawsuits have been settled by Watson. The latest lawsuit is also represented not by Buzbee but by Anissah M. Nguyen.
Watson was suspended for 11 games and is eligible to come back in week 13 when the Browns face Watson’s former team, the Houston Texans. According to reports, the NFL will not currently change Watson’s suspension, but the NFL will “monitor developments and punishment could follow.”
Of course, this isn’t the only potential legal trouble the NFL is facing.
Dan Snyder
Shortly before the latest news on Watson came out, the NFL already was dealing with a new report on Dan Snyder, owner of the Washington Commanders.
On Tuesday, the NFL will hold league meetings for the owners and commissioner but it appears there will be animosity with the largest of the NFL pariahs. According to a report from ESPN on Thursday, Snyder has hired private investigators to look into other owners and commissioner Roger Goodell.
A Commander’s spokesperson and outside lawyers denied that Snyder has hired or authorized private investigators to track another team’s owner and league office executives, including Goodell. “This is categorically false…He has no ‘dossiers’ compiled on any owners.”
The latest report from ESPN also said that Snyder told an associate that the NFL “is like the mafia. All the owners hate each other.” A swift response was followed by an undisclosed owner saying “That’s not true, all the owners hate Dan.”
The latest Snyder report comes after he has been subpoenaed by the House Oversight Committee for allegations of an improper workplace with the Washington Commanders. Snyder has reportedly looked to dig up dirt on fellow owners to protect his majority share of the franchise and not be forced to sell as many fans, analysts and other owners have called for.
The NFL has had large legal issues throughout its existence, but the latest news from Deshaun Watson and Dan Snyder has complicated what has been a very difficult few years for the league on the legal front.
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