BEREA, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Deshaun Watson remains on track to return as scheduled.
Watson is eligible for full reinstatement from an 11-game suspension on November 28 making him eligible to start December 4 in Houston against his former team.
Browns executive vice president of football operations and general manager Andrew Berry confirmed Wednesday the organization’s expectations that Watson will start against the Texans.
“Yes we would,” Berry said.
Under terms of the disciplinary settlement Watson reached with the NFL in August, Watson returned to the Browns facility October 10, and he has been attending meetings and working out on his own.
He is permitted to return to practice on November 14.
“It’s been great to have him back in the building,” Berry said. “He’s been focused on working on himself. He’s stayed in great shape.
He’s been a part of the meetings. He’s done everything and more that’s been asked of him.
“We’ll be excited to have him when he can continue to ramp up football activities and get back on the practice field.”
The Browns enter the bye week a disappointing 3-5 and after giving up six draft picks, including three first rounders, over three years and signing him to a fully guaranteed $230 million contract, the expectation is that Watson will be able to salvage the final six week of the season, if not the franchise which has started 33 different quarterback s since 1999.
“Honestly, that’s not something we can necessarily control internally,” Berry said. “That’s not really our mindset. Our mindset with him is when he’s available and back, we’ll welcome him back and get him ramped up appropriately.
“Until that point, it’s really a focus on the guys who are playing and obviously at the quarterback position, getting Jacoby prepared to play and putting our best foot forth against the upcoming opponent.”
Watson is a three-time Pro bowler who hasn’t played since the 2020 season when he led the NFL in passing but the Texans went 4-12 that year.
“We spent a lot of time with Deshaun in the spring in camp and banked a lot of good reps during the time,” Berry said. “And that being said, like I don't think that our approach isn't to, really any quarterback, but you know, certainly with the time that Deshaun has had off to expect him to shoulder everything. That's not necessarily how the team is designed or, you know, put together.
“I don't know that that would be a fair ask for any quarterback. In a couple weeks, we'll be in that world where we're getting him ready to play and we'll handle it appropriately.”
Earlier this year, Watson settled 23 lawsuits alleging sexual misconduct during massage therapy appointments. One case was dismissed when the plaintiff declined to use her name in her complaint after a judge’s order to do so and another is set to go to trial in the spring barring a settlement.
Watson saw another lawsuit filed last month but Watson’s attorneys have filed for sanctions against the law firm that submitted the most recent civil complaint alleging it was filed in bad faith and specifically to further embarrass and harass Watson. They submitted copies of nearly 40 messages purportedly sent by the accuser after their session in which Watson was accused of misconduct that Watson did not respond to as a means of demonstrating that Watson did not cause the harm he is accused of.
“Like we've said from the beginning, all the legal situation with Deshaun, we understand that that's gotta run its course,” Berry said in response to the latest lawsuit. “And, we'll obviously let Deshaun's legal team speak for that.”