League reviewing sex assault claims against Watson

DALLAS » The NFL said Thursday that it was investigating allegations that Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson sexually assaulted multiple women after three masseuses filed lawsuits against the star player.

In lawsuits filed this week, two women claim Watson touched them with his penis during massages last year, and the third alleges he forced her to perform oral sex.

Watson, 25, has broadly denied that he acted inappropriately and said he looks forward to clearing his name.

The women, who are not named in the lawsuits, are represented by Houston lawyer Tony Buzbee, who posted a picture of a letter from the NFL on his verified Instagram account that said the league had launched an investigation. Buzbee later deleted the post.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy confirmed in an email to The Associated Press that the matter was “under review of the personal conduct policy.”

Amazon gets Thursday games

Much like they did with cable in the 1980s and satellite television in the 1990s, the NFL made another significant transition in the way its games are viewed. The league’s new rights agreements, worth $113 billion over the 11 seasons of the new deals that begin in 2023, include a streaming service receiving an exclusive full season package for the first time when Amazon Prime Video will be the home of 15 “Thursday Night Football” games.

The new contracts also mean the NFL will nearly double its media revenue to more than $10 billion a season. The league took in $5.9 billion a year in its current contracts.

Bills agree to sign Trubisky

BUFFALO, N.Y. » The Buffalo Bills agreed to sign former Chicago Bears starter Mitch Trubisky to a one-year contract, and serve as Josh Allen’s primary backup. Trubisky was the No. 2 pick in the 2017 draft who has struggled through inconsistencies since leading the Bears to the playoffs in 2018.

Fuller agrees with Dolphins

MIAMI » Receiver Will Fuller agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the Dolphins, who were eager to acquire a deep threat to stretch the field.

Fuller is coming off his best season of his five-year career, all with Houston, even though he was suspended for the final five games for using performance-enhancers.