Watson mum at practice
BEREA, Ohio — As Deshaun Watson walked toward his locker, staying behind the sizable media contingent awaiting his first interview in three months, Browns linebacker Jeremiah OwusuKoramoah spotted his teammate.
“There he goes right now if you want to flip the camera on him,” Koramoah said.
Watson chose to stay to the side and quiet.
He’s ready to play, not talk. The Browns’ new starting quarterback didn’t address the media before practice Wednesday for the first time since being reinstated by the NFL from his 11-game suspension for alleged sexual misconduct.
Watson, who has been accused by more than two dozen women of harassment and assault during massage therapy sessions while he played for Houston, is set to make his debut Sunday against the Texans. The Texans drafted him in 2017 before he demanded a trade after four seasons and eventually was dealt to the Browns in March.
Watson looked sharp while getting his first starter’s reps since training camp as the Browns stayed out of the cold by practicing indoors — similar to the conditions they’ll have in Houston’s NRG Stadium.
“We’ve been waiting a long time for him to come back,” running back Nick Chubb said.
Watson’s return has been scheduled since August, when the 27-year-old accepted the lengthy suspension and $5 million fine and agreed to undergo mandatory therapy and counseling after an independent arbitrator ruled he violated the league’s personalconduct policy.
Now that he’s the starter, Watson is obligated to speak to the media, but that hasn’t happened yet. Typically, the Browns’ starting quarterback speaks on Wednesday before Sunday games. That has been the case with Jacoby Brissett all season.
However, Watson didn’t address reporters and spent time sitting in his chair wearing headphones and checking his phone during the 45 minutes the locker room was open.
The Browns did not provide any reason for Watson not speaking. When asked why Watson wasn’t available, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said, “That’s not my department,” redirecting the question to the team’s media-relations director.
It’s possible Watson will answer questions in the next few days. The last time he conducted a group interview, he continued to insist he had done nothing wrong.