Deshaun Watson was clearly emotional Friday following the news that he will not face criminal charges related to sexual misconduct allegations.
Earlier Friday, eight of the women who filed criminal complaints against Watson met with a grand jury, which did not charge him on any of the complaints.
“This is definitely a very emotional moment for me,” Watson said, speaking to reporters for the first time in more than a year. “I know we’re far from being done of handling what we need to handle on the legal side. But today is definitely a big day, and I thank my lord and savior Jesus Christ for letting the truth be heard. I thank everyone that was a part of this, of seeing and hearing both sides, and that’s what my point and my team wanted to do is have a fair slate of us telling our side of the story and letting the conclusion come down to what happened today, and that’s what the grand jury decided on.
“So, I just thank my lord and savior, and we’re going to keep fighting to rebuild my name and rebuild my appearance in the community.”
Watson, who still faces 22 civil lawsuits, and his legal team will now go forward with the civil case depositions.
Watson remained on the Texans’ active roster last season but was a healthy scratch for all 17 games.
The three-time Pro Bowl quarterback said he’s ready to get back on the field.
“We’re going to continue, on the legal side, off the field, handle what we need to handle,” Watson said. “But also ready to get back on the field, being prepared for that and ready to go for that. So, I thank my family, all my close supporters that’s been behind me this past year. I thank my team that’s been behind me, supporting me, keeping me up this past year, and I’m going to continue to just keep pushing forward and build my name back to where it was, if not better.”
Deshaun Watson’s opening statement: https://t.co/Ocey6utJ5K pic.twitter.com/HXAotgGxXD
— Brooks Kubena (@BKubena) March 11, 2022
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