The lawsuits filed against Deshaun Watson were in the works before his requests to be traded from the Texans in January.
Sports Illustrated obtained text messages that revealed Ashley Solis, who filed the first lawsuit against the quarterback, was in touch with Tony Buzbee's law firm in late December 2020.
The messages, which were between Solis's colleague and Susan, a veteran massage therapist SI spoke with, indicate that contact was made with the law firm before Week 16 of the NFL season, which debunks theories that the lawsuits were in response to his trade demand.