He is expressing remorse toward the more than two dozen massage therapists accused of wrongdoing as rumors swirl of a possible settlement of the NFL's effort to discipline Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson.
I want to say that I m truly sorry to all of the women that I have impacted in this situation," Watson told reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala in a pregame interview that aired Friday. I want to continue to move forward and learn and show that I am a true person of character and I want to keep pushing forward, because of the decisions I made in my life that put me in this position. The league said earlier this month that the NFL is appealing Deshaun Watson's six-game suspension and seeking a tougher penalty for violating its personal conduct policy for egregious acts of sexual contact with massage therapists.
In handing down the six-game suspension, retired judge Sue L. Robinson ruled there was sufficient circumstantial evidence to support the NFL's contention that Watson sought sexual contact with several massage therapists he reached via social media.
The quarterback knew that sexualized contact was unavoidable, according to the judge.
Watson signed a five-year, $230 million guaranteed contract with the Browns in March.
He missed a lot of time on the field, having not played for the Houston Texans all of the season last season as his legal challenges unfolded and the team tried to trade him.