The starting quarterback job in Cleveland belongs to Deshaun Watson as soon as he is eligible to return, Browns general manger Andrew Berry said Wednesday.
Watson, 27, will play his first game since Jan. 3, 2021 when the Browns visit his former team, the Houston Texans, for a Week 13 contest on Dec. 4.
“It’s been great to have him back in the building,” Berry said during his bye week press conference. “He’s stayed in great shape and he’s done everything and more that we’ve asked of him.”
Watson has been participating in team meetings and strength and conditioning workouts since Oct. 10. He will be allowed to start practicing with the team on Nov. 14 and can be reinstated on Nov. 28.
Jacoby Brissett has guided Cleveland to a 3-5 start during Watson’s 11-game NFL suspension, including a 32-13 victory on Monday night against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Berry said the Browns will make the change even though Brissett has been “everything we hoped when we signed him.”
Brissett, 29, has completed 63.9 percent of his passes for 1,862 yards, seven touchdowns and five interceptions in eight starts. He ranks 10th in the NFL in passing yards and eighth in QBR, ahead of Jalen Hurts, Derek Carr, Daniel Jones, Justin Herbert, Jared Goff, Joe Burrow and Kirk Cousins.
Watson was suspended and fined $5 million in August for off-field conduct violations related to “predatory” behavior involving more than two dozen women who alleged sexual assault and other inappropriate behavior during massage sessions.
The Browns acquired Watson via trade from the Texans and signed him to a five-year, $230 million contract in the offseason.
Watson has completed 67.8 percent of his passes for 14,539 yards and 104 touchdowns with 36 interceptions. He led the league with 4,823 passing yards in 2020. He also has rushed for 1,677 yards and 17 scores in his career, and he owns a 28-25 regular-season record as a starter.
–Field Level Media