Deshaun Watson has returned to the field in a regular-season game for the first time since Jan. 3, 2021.
With his 11-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy concluded, Watson took over for Jacoby Brissett as the Browns’ starting quarterback, playing his first regular-season game in 700 days.
Watson made his return to game action at NRG Stadium in Houston, home venue of his previous team, the Texans. He was booed by fans as Cleveland prepared to take its first offensive snap of the afternoon. The Browns went three-and-out on their first possession, which included two incompletions by Watson.
Watson completed 12 of 22 passes for 131 yards with one interception and no touchdowns as the Browns beat the Texans, 27-14.
In the span of a year-plus, a total of 26 civil complaints were filed against Watson, describing graphic accounts of sexual harassment and sexual assault. Plaintiffs say the incidents occurred during massage therapy sessions, when he exhibited behavior that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell described as “egregious” and “predatory.”
Criminal complaints were filed against him, but two Texas grand juries declined to charge him this spring.
One case was dropped due to privacy concerns in April 2021. The quarterback agreed to settle 20 of the 24 remaining active lawsuits in late June ’22, and later, he agreed to settle three of the remaining four civil suits filed against him ahead of independent arbitrator Sue L. Robinson’s initial disciplinary decision.
Robinson ultimately found that Watson engaged in conduct that created “a genuine danger to the safety and well-being of another person, and conduct that undermines or puts at risk the integrity of the NFL.” However, she determined his behavior “does not fall into the category of violent conduct,” and the NFL then appealed.
Watson now faces two civil complaints, one of which was filed by a different attorney in October—less than two months after the NFL and NFLPA agreed to suspend Watson for 11 games and fine him $5 million.
In his absence, Brissett led Cleveland to a 4–7 record, throwing for 2,608 yards with 12 touchdown passes and six interceptions. Watson was reinstated on Monday and practiced on Wednesday but did not speak with the media until Thursday, where he sidestepped non-football questions.
Although he said he does “understand” that the media has myriad questions, he added, “but with my legal team and my clinical team, there’s only football questions I can really address at this time.”
Along with the suspension and fine, Watson was ordered to undergo counseling. When asked why he agreed to the settlement, the quarterback said, “I was just trying whatever I could do to play football in 2022. Most of the settlement stuff with the NFL was mostly my agency and legal team. I had no control. My main focus was doing everything I needed to do to play this year.”
That became a reality for Watson on Sunday as he stepped onto the field of the franchise where his NFL career began on Sunday.
Tony Buzbee, the lawyer for 25 of the plaintiffs, said to The Athletic that he would attend the game with “bells and whistles on,” and that he invited the plaintiffs to the game. Approximately 10 plaintiffs said they planned to attend the game.
