Watson accusers speak
One of the women accusing Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson of sexual misconduct while she gave him a massage felt “scared” and threatened by a comment he made after a therapy session.
Appearing on HBO’s “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel,” Ashley Solis, who is among 22 women who have sued Watson over allegations he behaved inappropriately with them, provided graphic details of an encounter with the three-time Pro Bowl player.
She also said at the end of a massage, Watson told her: “I know you have a career to protect,” and “I know you don’t want anyone messing with it just like I don’t want anyone messing with mine.”
Solis was asked by reporter Soledad O’Brien why Watson’s message frightened her.
“Because that sounded like a threat to me,” she said.
During the interview, which aired Tuesday night, Solis and another massage therapist, Kyla Hayes, provide details of their meetings with Watson, who’s facing civil lawsuits by the 22 women alleging various sexual acts during massages he received while playing for the Texans.
Watson has denied any wrongdoing and has maintained that any sex with the women was consensual. Two grand juries in Texas have declined to indict Watson on criminal complaints filed by 10 women.
QB coach added to Rooney Rule
At the NFL owners meetings in Atlanta, the league announced an expansion of the Rooney Rule, this time to include quarterbacks coaches in a further effort to diversify the coaching ranks.
The oft-criticized Rooney Rule, adopted in 2003 to enhance opportunities for minorities to gain head-coaching jobs and enhanced several times to include front-office positions, now requires one minority or female candidate from another team to be interviewed for quarterbacks coach.
The owners also discussed possibly dropping the Pro Bowl or revamping it.
“The conclusion was the game itself doesn’t work and we needed to find a different way to celebrate our players, these being our Pro Bowl players and best players in our league,” commissioner Roger Goodell said. “We talked a lot about some of the events around the Pro Bowl are extremely popular. Things we will build on.”
Ex-Bears CB Fuller joins Ravens
Former Bears cornerback Kyle Fuller agreed to terms with the Ravens. Fuller spent last season with the Broncos after playing in 80 games for the Bears from 2014 to ’20, intercepting 19 passes. Fuller went to Mount Saint Joseph High School in Baltimore before playing at Virginia Tech.