Report: Texans haven't communicated with attorneys in Deshaun Watson case

In a response to the lawyer representing Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson in the 22 civil lawsuits that allege acts of sexual assault and misconduct, attorney Tony Buzbee, who is working on behalf of the plaintiffs, suggested the Texans had gotten involved in supposed settlement discussions. 

"Contrary to what Mr. Rusty says, we haven’t 'approached them to settle,' ever," Buzbee captioned an Instagram post that includes what appears to be a non-disclosure agreement. "When they approached us they insisted we sign this. We obviously didn’t reach out to them; they begged us via the Texans to mediate." 

However, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk now reports that Texans haven't communicated with either attorney involved in this matter. 

"Buzbee’s contention, as one source explained it, comes from the reality that a Houston lawyer who has provided legal services to Texans owner Cal McNair attempted to act as a liaison between Buzbee and Hardin for the purposes of setting up a mediation session," Florio wrote. Florio added that the lawyer mentioned by sources was not officially representing the Texans in any conversations. 

What's interesting about this development is that Buzbee hinted in April he could look to hold the Texans liable in lawsuits because at least some within the organization could or should have known about Watson's reported reputation but did not warn massage therapists about previous allegations made against the star signal-caller. 

Watson requested a trade before these lawsuits were made public, but the Texans cannot realistically shop him until cases play out in court, are settled or dismissed.