Deshaun Watson has been added to the Cleveland Browns roster after his suspension expired, and the quarterback is expected to start on Sunday.
Watson hasn't played in the NFL since the 2020 season, when he recorded the best numbers in Houston Texans franchise history as a quarterback. Watson finished the season as franchise leader in passing touchdowns, passing yards and passer rating, but was ruled out for every Texans game in 2021 for 'non-injury reasons/personal matter'.
It later transpired that Watson had been accused by more than two dozen women of sexual assault and other inappropriate sexual misconduct during massage sessions, and was then suspended for the first 11 games of the 2022 regular season. Watson was only traded to the Browns in March, but is set to finally make his first appearance eight months later.
After a trade request was denied in 2021, Watson finally moved in March as the Browns offered him a five-year, $230million (£192.5m) deal, which became the largest contract and most guaranteed money in NFL history at the time. But in August, the NFL and the NFLPA reached a settlement and suspended the star.
Watson was suspended for the first 11 games of the 2022 regular season and was fined $5m (£4.2m). But after serving his suspension, he is finally cleared to return to action, and coincidentally his first game is against his former side.
The Browns will be delighted to see him back, as they sacrificed a lot to bring him to Cleveland in the first place. The Browns traded first-round draft picks in 2022, 2023, and 2024, as well as their third-round pick in 2023 and fourth-round picks in 2022 and 2024.
But Watson has bags of quality, and with Amari Cooper continuing to star downfield, and Nick Chubb dominating the running game, the Browns could quickly become a tough customer. Jacoby Brissett has been enjoying his time at quarterback in Watson's absence, but he's due to return to the bench.
Brissett has helped the Browns to a 4-7 record this season, but if he has had his final start for a while, at least he's ended it in the best possible way. The Browns stunned Tom Brady's Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, as they won 23-17 following a dramatic overtime winner from Chubb.
The Browns were seconds away from defeat when Brissett threw to David Njoku in the endzone on fourth down, forcing overtime. Chubb then broke through with a touchdown in the dying stages of additional time, handing Brady a shock defeat.
In fact, it was a first for the Buccaneers quarterback, as Brady has never lost a game in the NFL when leading by seven or more points with less than two minutes to go. His streak of 218 straight-games came to an end, and Brissett was delighted in his post-match press conference, even though he knew that might be it for now.
"I still have a job to do. I’m still on the team. I’ve still got to be the same person everyday, no matter what," Brissett said. But he also welcomed Watson's return as he added: "I’m excited for him to come back and looking forward to next week."
