A grand jury declined to indict Deshaun Watson following a police investigation that was sparked by lawsuits filed by 22 women accusing him of harassment and sexual assault.
Prosecutors from the district attorney's office in Harris County, Texas, presented evidence and testimony to the 12-person grand jury for over six hours on Friday related to nine of the 10 criminal complaints filed against Watson. The grand jury, which does not require a unanimous vote, rejected all nine cases; prosecutors did not present the 10th.
"It's definitely a very emotional moment for me. 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," Watson, speaking to reporters for the first time in over a year, said at a news conference outside his lawyer's office building. "I thank my lord and savior Jesus Christ for letting the truth be heard. And I thank everyone that was a part of this for seeing and hearing both sides. 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 to what happened today, and that's what the grand jury decided on.
"I'm just going to keep fighting to rebuild my name and rebuild my appearance in the community. And on the legal side handle what we need to handle. But also ready to get on the field, and prep for that."
A spokesman for the NFL, which is investigating Watson under its personal conduct policy, said in a statement Friday, "We have been closely monitoring all developments in the matter."
In January 2021, Watson asked the Texans to trade him because he was unhappy about the direction of the franchise.
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