Texans Beat Reporter Fired After Defending Deshaun Watson

Longtime NFL reporter Aaron Wilson has been fired from the Houston Chronicle after defending Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson against multiple sexual assault charges, according to Diana Moskovitz and Kalyn Kahler of The Defector.

Wilson, who has covered the Texans since 2015, compared Watson's accusers to terrorists during an appearance on "The Greg Hill Show" on WEEI radio last month.

"In his case, you know, it’s kind of you don’t negotiate with terrorists," Wilson told Hill. "People are demanding money, they’re asking for money. It kept escalating, it kept going up and up and up. You’re talking about more and more funds, I’m not going to say how much it got to, but my understanding is, you know, that there was an admission that, it was, you know, something, you know just that this was, you know, just a money grab.”

Sources told The Defector that the Chronicle held a meeting Friday to address the move involving Wilson.

"During the meeting, which lasted about 10 to 15 minutes, the source says that Chronicle sports editor Reid Laymance told staffers that Wilson was no longer employed by the Chronicle," the report read. "Laymance didn’t discuss any specifics regarding why Wilson was no longer employed, and he did not mention Wilson’s coverage of the lawsuits. He did tell reporters that they needed to be mindful of what they say on other platforms."

Twenty-two women allege Watson harassed and assaulted them while receiving massages. Ashley Solis was the first massage therapist to sue Watson and publicly disclosed her identity earlier this week. A judge has ordered 13 of those accusers to identify themselves, as relayed by OutKick's Megan Turner.

Prior to joining the Chronicle, Wilson covered The Baltimore Ravens for the Baltimore Sun from 2001-15. He has also served as a beat writer who covered the Jacksonville Jaguars, according to his bio on the Chronicle website.