The Houston Texans will be forfeiting a 2023 fifth-round draft pick after the NFL announced the franchise committed a salary cap violation. The league determined that the club provided former Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson with undisclosed compensation in the form of a membership at an alternative athletic facility in 2020.
Houston will forfeit its original 2023 fifth-round pick and was fined $175,000 by the league. CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones reported the "undisclosed compensation" was $26,000, and the "alternative athletic facility" was the Houstonian -- a luxury hotel and club the Texans helped provide membership.
The Houstonian does have a deep connection with Watson and the Texans. In a New York Times report that was unveiled last summer, the Houstonian was part of the allegations against Watson as the hotel where the former Texans quarterback hosted women to give him message appointments. Some women who were hosted at the Houstonian accused Watson of assault.
In a deposition, Watson acknowledged the Texans arranged for him to have "a place" at The Houstonian. Per the New York Times article, at least seven women met Watson at the hotel for appointments -- two filed civil lawsuits and two complained to police.
The Texans weren't aware of the massage appointments at the hotel and access to the property was not under his name, according to Watson. The Watson investigation is still ongoing after more than two dozen women accused him of sexual misconduct during massage appointments. Watson served an 11-game suspension handed down by the NFL last year.
Without the fifth-round pick in place, the Texans will have 10 picks in the 2023 draft. Houston has two first-round picks (No. 2 and No. 12 overall), one second-round pick (No. 33 overall), two third-round picks (No. 65 and No. 73 overall), one fourth-round pick and four sixth-round picks.
