The way Deshaun Watson is being covered drowns out a more important topic: the sexual assault lawsuits

Any conversation about a potential Deshaun Watson trade MUST include a conversation about the 22 civil lawsuits.

At some point during the NFL news cycle, it felt like a number of reporters and teams lost sight of what was most important when discussing Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson.

Yes, trade rumors have swirled around Watson for months. But we can’t discuss those trade rumors without also providing the necessary context.

Twenty two women have filed civil lawsuits, alleging sexual assault and sexual harassment, against Watson, and if those lawsuits make it to court, they will last into 2022 — potentially finishing after the 2021 NFL season. Ten women have filed complaints about Watson with the Houston police, with eight of those women being among the 22 who have filed civil lawsuits against Watson.

The NFL has not put Watson on the commissioner’s exempt list. The league’s investigation of Watson is ongoing, per the Houston Chronicle. The exempt list would prevent him from playing, essentially putting him on paid leave. “The NFL hasn’t used the designation with Deshaun Watson, indicating the league’s ongoing investigation hasn’t led Roger Goodell to believe a major violation occurred,” per NFL Network’s Tom Pellisero.

There is no additional context as to why none of the 22 lawsuits have led Goodell to believe a major violation occurred, nor is it clear how the commissioner has come to that conclusion.

Meanwhile, the Texans are reportedly trying to trade Watson, who had demanded to leave Houston before the lawsuits became public. And just before training camp started, we saw tweets like these ones.

They’re all missing one crucial detail about Watson.

For Deshaun Watson, the @Texans price has been some combination of 5 high draft picks and starting caliber players, per two league executives.

— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) July 26, 2021

The #Texans are now willing to listen — and have been for some time — to trade offers for star QB Deshaun Watson, multiple sources tell me and @RapSheet. But the price is high for a player of his caliber, and should be. It’d likely take at least three first-round picks and more.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) July 26, 2021

From @GMFB: The full breakdown of what happens next with the #Texans and Deshaun Watson, who has a full no-trade clause and will eventually decide where he's willing to go. pic.twitter.com/dBHXrz7nuf

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 26, 2021

Deshaun Watson’s personal QB coach @Quincy_Avery predicted Friday, while taping the Adam Schefter Podcast, that his client would be traded by Sunday. As in yesterday. pic.twitter.com/ZrRwta5op7

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 26, 2021

You can spot the problem, I’m sure. These NFL insiders made no reference to Watson’s lawsuits in their reports of a potential move involving the quarterback when, of course, any transaction involving Watson would be both triggered and deeply complicated by those lawsuits.

Those sexual assault and harassment lawsuits are the most important thing happening in Watson’s life. Any mention of a potential trade for Watson feels somewhat tone deaf — especially if the conversation of a trade goes without mentioning the lawsuits — at a time where he’s facing greater uncertainties with his future.

I feel strange even writing about a trade while Watson is serving as a scout-team player at Texans training camp. Essentially, Houston doesn’t know what to do with him. They want to trade him, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, and probably don’t want him getting injured. And they won’t waste time giving him reps at quarterback, because, apparently, they’ve already moved on.

The lawsuits will make it extremely challenging for the Texans to rid themselves of the quarterback. The Texans don’t want to be stuck with Watson. Watson doesn’t want to be with the Texans.

It’s one of the more bizarre situations in the NFL. And it’s one of the most important storylines in the NFL. We need to talk about it and we need to look at the whole picture.

That means acknowledging this is about more than football. A lot more.