Watson silent, but teammates talk buzz of return

BEREA, Ohio -- Deshaun Watson didn't talk Wednesday, arsenic scheduled.

Speaking for him instead, Watson's teammates praised his endowment and admitted there's a buzz successful the Cleveland Browns' locker country this week heading into Watson's instrumentality to the tract aft his lengthy suspension.

"We're each excited," said Browns moving backmost Nick Chubb. "We've waited a agelong clip for him to travel back."

Watson conscionable finished serving an 11-game suspension for violating the league's idiosyncratic behaviour argumentation by committing intersexual assault, arsenic defined by the NFL, connected massage therapists. He besides had to wage a $5 cardinal good and acquisition a mandatory attraction program.

Watson's instrumentality Sunday against this erstwhile team, the Houston Texans, volition people precisely 700 days since helium past played successful a regular-season crippled (with the Texans connected Jan. 3, 2021).

Watson has been accused by much than 2 twelve women of intersexual battle and different intersexual misconduct during massage sessions. Over the summer, helium agreed to settee 23 of the 24 civilian lawsuits against him. A 25th suit was dropped by the plaintiff erstwhile the justice ruled that her petition had to beryllium amended with her name. Two different women filed transgression complaints against Watson but didn't writer him. On Oct. 13, different pistillate filed a suit against Watson, claiming helium pressured her into oral enactment during a massage league successful 2020.

Two expansive juries successful Texas declined to prosecute transgression charges against Watson earlier this year. In the past, Watson has denied immoderate wrongdoing and said radical haven't been funny successful proceeding his broadside of the story.

He inactive hasn't spoken publically since his suspension was announced successful August.

Watson has been sitting successful connected squad meetings and moving retired astatine the squad grooming installation since Oct. 10 and has been allowed to signifier with the Browns since Nov. 16.

"He's peculiar -- he's a playmaker," Chubb said, erstwhile asked however Watson has looked precocious successful practice. "He puts the shot precisely wherever helium needs it go. Guys similar that. Guys are excited."

The Browns traded for Watson successful March, sending the Texans 3 first-round draught picks. Cleveland past signed Watson to a five-year woody worthy $230 cardinal guaranteed, the richest declaration successful NFL history.

Backup backmost Jacoby Brissett filled successful during the 11 games Watson was suspended. The Browns officially added Watson to their 53-man roster connected Monday and waived backmost Josh Dobbs successful a corresponding move.

"He's a large player," Browns cornerback Denzel Ward said of Watson. "You can't spell incorrect with large players."

Cleveland's grounds is 4-7 and the squad is coming disconnected Sunday's overtime triumph implicit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which kept its slim playoff hopes alive.

"There's an excitement, for sure," Browns linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah said of Watson's return. "We cognize what helium tin bash with what we've seen truthful far. So looking guardant to seeing him [play]."