After serving an 11-game suspension for violation of the league’s personal conduct policy after being accused by more than two dozen women of sexual assault and other inappropriate sexual misconduct during massage sessions, Deshaun Watson is back with the Cleveland Browns.
Watson is eligible to return to practice Monday for the Browns, who traded multiple first-round picks and handed out a $230 million fully-guaranteed contract to the maligned quarterback after acquiring him from the Houston Texans.
Watson was suspended for violating the league’s personal conduct policy by committing sexual assault, as defined by the NFL, on massage therapists. He was also fined $5 million and has had to undergo a mandatory treatment program. Watson previously settled 23 civil suits, leaving just one civil suit active.
Now, after sitting out the first 11 weeks, Watson will return to the field in Week 13 as the starting quarterback for Cleveland against, ironically, the Texans in Houston.
With Watson suspended, the Browns proceeded to go 4-7 with Jacoby Brissett under center, including a Week 12 overtime win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home. Currently, the Browns are in the thick of the AFC wildcard playoff picture and have matchups against the Texans, Bengals, Ravens, Saints, Commanders and Steelers down the stretch.
That Week 18 matchup with the Steelers will be in Pittsburgh at Acrisure Stadium, which figures to be a hostile environment for the Browns’ quarterback, especially after all the offseason storylines that emerged.
We’ll see how the Browns handle the public relations nightmare that’s about to transpire once again with Watson back in the fold.
