Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson is set to make his 2022 NFL debut on Sunday against the Houston Texans, returning from an 11-game suspension following multiple allegations of sexual assault and misconduct.
Watson, who was first accused of sexual misconduct during the 2021 offseason, last played in a regular-season game on Jan. 3, 2021. He sat out the entire 2021 season after demanding a trade from the Houston Texans and then refusing to play another snap for the franchise.
- Deshaun Watson contract: $402,500 base salary (2022), $46 million base salary (2023-’26)
Houston originally signed Watson to a four-year, $160 million contract extension in September 2020. However, he requested a trade following the team’s 4-12 season. After more than two dozen women accused the Texans’ quarterback of sexual assault and misconduct, trade discussions for him broke off and he sat out the 2021 season with pay.
Related: NFL QB Rankings – Check our top-20 quarterbacks, find out why Josh Allen is No. 1
The NFL and the NFL Players Association settled this summer on an 11-game suspension for Watson, requiring him to attend a mandatory treatment program and fining him $5 million.
On the verge of returning against his former team in Houston, with many of his accusers in attendance, Watson is reportedly still in treatment and he will be in it indefinitely
Related: Cleveland Browns schedule
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the NFL believes Watson has displayed some signs of progress during his mandatory treatment program. No specifics were provided, however, and Watson told reporters on Thursday he won’t address any non-football questions.
“It’s just sort of ongoing as needed and it’ll be ongoing until it’s not needed anymore. And I think it’s given him a lot of help and support. But this could take a while.
Source connected to Deshaun Watson’s treatment program
The 27-year-old continues to deny any wrongdoing, believing he was unfairly suspended by the NFL. According to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, the league pushed for mandatory behavioral treatment over therapy because the specific treatment is viewed as more effective at helping someone who caused harm to recognize their actions.
Immediately after acquiring Watson, Cleveland signed him to a new five-year extension worth $230 million fully guaranteed. It’s caused a rift in the NFL, with quarterbacks who don’t have off-field issues now pushing for fully-guaranteed contracts. Because of it, NFL executives and team owners have taken greater issue with the Browns’ decision.
- Deshaun Watson stats (2020): 4,832 passing yards, 70.2% completion, 112.4 QB rating 33-7 TD-INT, 444 rush yards, 3 rushing touchdowns
Cleveland, who enters Week 13 with a 4-7 record, doesn’t currently have in nationally-televised games remaining on the NFL schedule. While matchups against the Baltimore Ravens on Dec. 18 and Pittsburgh Steelers on Jan. 8 are currently “TBD’, it’s very possible the NFL avoids putting the Browns on national television for the remainder of the regular season.
Watson settled 23-of–23 civil suits against him that were filed on behalf of his accusers. Two grand juries previously declined to charge him criminally this year. As Jenny Vrentas of the New York Times detailed in-depth, not all of Watson’s accusers filed civil suits against him.