He’ll still have six more games to miss before being eligible to return, but as of tomorrow Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson will be permitted to return to work.
As explained by Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Watson will be permitted to return to the team facility on Monday. That means that he’ll be able to participate in lifting sessions and conditioning drills, and that he’ll be allowed to attend meetings. He also can be involved in game planning and preparation.
However, he won’t be allowed to throw with the team or attend practice until November 14.
He’s due to be reinstated on November 28, subject to his compliance with the NFL’s treatment mandate.
Cabot explains that Watson has kept in close contact with the team’s other quarterbacks, and that Watson has been working out with his personal quarterback coach on a regular basis.
It all culminates in Watson’s return for a Week 13 game against the Texans in Houston. Per Cabot, Watson will start that game, regardless of how quarterback Jacoby Brissett performs over the next seven weeks.
That makes sense, given that the Browns are currently 2-2. The chances of a seven-game winning streak fueled by Jacoby Brissett suddenly becoming Johnny Unitas are extremely slim. And that’s exactly what it would take to delay Watson’s return to action.
