Browns GM: QB Watson on track to start Dec. 4

BEREA, Ohio -- Cleveland backmost Deshaun Watson remains connected way to commencement Dec. 4 erstwhile his suspension ends, Browns wide manager Andrew Berry said Wednesday.

Watson continues to service an 11-game suspension for violating the NFL's idiosyncratic behaviour argumentation by committing intersexual battle connected massage therapists, arsenic defined by the NFL.

Watson can't statesman practicing until Nov. 14. But he'll beryllium eligible to play successful Week 13, erstwhile the Browns question to look his erstwhile team, the Houston Texans.

Since Oct. 10, Watson has been allowed to enactment successful squad meetings, conscionable individually with coaches and enactment retired astatine the Browns' grooming facility.

"It's been large to person him backmost successful the building," Berry said. "He's been focused connected moving connected himself, he's stayed successful large shape, he's been a portion of the meetings. He's done everything and much that's been asked of him. We'll beryllium excited to person him erstwhile helium tin proceed to ramp up shot activities and get backmost connected the signifier field."

On Aug. 18, the NFL and NFL Players Association reached a colony connected Watson's 11-game suspension, aft helium was accused by much than 2 twelve women of intersexual battle and inappropriate intersexual misconduct during massage sessions. Watson was fined $5 cardinal and has had to acquisition a mandatory attraction program, arsenic well. Watson besides was banned from the team's facilities from Aug. 30 to Oct. 10.

Over the summer, Watson agreed to settee 23 of the 24 lawsuits against him astatine that time. A 25th suit was dropped by the plaintiff erstwhile the justice ruled her petition had to beryllium amended with her name. Two different women filed transgression complaints against Watson but did not writer him.

Two expansive juries successful Texas declined to prosecute transgression charges against Watson earlier this year. But Sue L. Robinson, an autarkic arbiter jointly appointed by the league and players' union, recovered that "the NFL carried its load to prove, by a preponderance of the evidence, that Mr. Watson engaged successful intersexual assault." Robinson besides concluded successful her study that Watson's behaviour was some "egregious" and "predatory."

Watson has repeatedly denied immoderate wrongdoing. He has yet to bash an interrogation since reentering the team's grooming facility.

On Oct. 13, different pistillate filed a civilian suit against Watson, claiming helium pressured her into oral enactment during a massage league successful 2020. Two weeks later, Watson's attorneys filed a bid of tribunal exhibits arsenic grounds to undermine the allegation.

"Like we've said from the beginning, [with] the ineligible concern with Deshaun, you recognize that's got to tally its course," Berry said, "and we'll evidently fto Deshaun's ineligible squad talk for that."

The Browns are conscionable 3-5 headed into their bye, though they are coming disconnected an awesome 32-13 triumph implicit the Cincinnati Bengals connected Monday night.

Despite the losing record, Watson's replacement Jacoby Brissett has shined, posting the eighth-best QBR (60.7) successful the NFL to this point.

Berry said that Brissett "has been everything that we had hoped erstwhile we signed him" and that Cleveland's absorption until Watson returns would stay connected "getting Jacoby acceptable to play."

Watson hasn't played successful a regular-season crippled since 2020, sitting retired each of past twelvemonth successful Houston portion waiting for a trade. He did play the archetypal 4th successful Cleveland's preseason opener successful Jacksonville, but completed conscionable 1 of 5 passes for 7 yards. Berry admitted that portion Watson got plentifulness of snaps with the squad during the offseason and successful grooming camp, it mightiness instrumentality clip to shingle disconnected the rust -- adjacent arsenic Cleveland hopes to marque a propulsion for the playoffs with him down center.

"Our attack isn't to, truly immoderate quarterback, but surely with the clip Deshaun has had off, expect him to enarthrosis everything," Berry said. "That's not however the squad is designed oregon enactment together. And I don't deliberation that would beryllium a just inquire for immoderate quarterback."