Watson returns from suspension, to start against Texans
Deshaun Watson was officially reinstated by the NFL on Monday. Now, the Browns are trying to get him ready to start Sunday.
Watson’s return from an 11-game suspension for personal conduct policy violations become official at 4 p.m. Monday, when all league transactions are posted. However, it’s been something both he and the team have been planning for since he initially returned
1 p.m. Sunday, Ch. 7, 12, 1290, 95.7 to off-the-field activities with the team back on Oct. 10.
“We had Deshaun in the building for three weeks, but not out on the field or with us, and the
last couple weeks out in the field,” coach Kevin Stefanski said on a Zoom call with media on Monday. “So the next step is obviously being out there taking all the firstteam reps. He’s been doing a nice job getting the defense ready with the scout team reps that he’s got. So I think he’s done a nice job with his time away physically staying sharp, mentally staying sharp. So I think he’ll be ready to roll.”
Watson has been sidelined since his suspension began at 4 p.m. Aug 30. The original six-game ban that disciplinary officer Sue L. Robinson handed down on Aug. 1 was appealed by the NFL, leading to an Aug. 18 settlement between the two parties.
Those violations stem from allegations made, at the time, by 26 women through the judicial system in Texas of sexual misconduct or sexual assault during massage appointments during Watson’s
time as the Texans’ quarterback. Of those, 24 resulted in lawsuits, 23 of which have been settled.
There’s been a steady ramp-up since then to get Watson prepared to start his first regular-season NFL game since Jan. 3, 2021, when he was with the Houston Texans. It’ll be 700 days exactly between starts when he returns to Houston on Sunday to face the Texans as the Browns’ quarterback.
The only actual game competition Watson faced was* in the Browns’ preseason opener Aug. 12 at Jacksonville. He started the game against the Jaguars, completing 1 of 5 passes for 7 yards in three series.
It was after the Jacksonville game that the Browns started the transition away from Watson getting all of the first-team offensive reps, dating all the way back to the offseason program. That’s when Jacoby Brissett, who started the first 11 games this season, began to get almost all of the first-team reps.
Watson was allowed back on the field to practice on Nov. 14. The time since he’s been back in the building, plus the previous time before the suspension, are things that Stefanski believes helps with the transition back to Watson as the quarterback.
“I think you can go back to the spring and summer,” Stefanski said. “We spent a lot of time together. Deshaun spent a lot of time together with his teammates, so I think we mentioned it at the time. I still believe those were banked reps, so to speak. So it’s something to where Deshaun spent a lot of time with his teammates. I think they’ve all enjoyed having him back and being a part of the team and I think they’re excited for him in this next step.”
The Browns acquired Watson on March 18, along with a 2024 sixth-round pick, in exchange for first-round picks in 2022, 2023 and 2024, a 2022 third-round pick and a 2024 fourthround pick. They also gave him a five-year $230 million guaranteed contract at the time.