Browns QB Watson cleared to practice as suspension nears end

CLEVELAND — Deshaun Watson’s return from an 11-game NFL suspension remains on schedule.

Cleveland’s No. 1 quarterback was cleared to practice Monday, a significant step for the three-time Pro Bowler accused of sexual misconduct by more than two dozen women while he played for Houston.

Watson reached a settlement with the league in August to sit out 11 games, pay a $5 million fine and undergo counseling and treatment.

To this point, the league said he’s fulfilled those obligations.

“Watson has thus far complied with the requirements set out in the August agreement, including evaluation by an

NFL-NFLPA jointly appointed clinical professional and participation in a treatment program designed by behavioral experts, and is expected to continue to do so following his return to the football field,” league spokesman Brian McCarthy said in an email.

As long as he continues to meet conditions of the agreement, Watson will make his regular-season debut for the Browns on Dec. 4 against Houston, which drafted him in 2017 and traded him to Cleveland in March for three first-round draft picks.