CLEVELAND — Deshaun Watson’s return from an 11-game NFL suspension remains on schedule.
Cleveland’s No. 1 quarterback was cleared to practice Monday, a significant step for the three-time Pro Bowler accused of sexual misconduct by more than two dozen women while he played for Houston.
Watson reached a settlement with the league in August to sit out 11 games, pay a $5 million fine and undergo counseling and treatment.
To this point, the league said he’s fulfilled those obligations.
“Watson has thus far complied with the requirements set out in the August agreement, including evaluation by an NFL-NFLPA jointly appointed clinical professional and participation in a treatment program designed by behavioral experts, and is expected to continue to do so following his return to the football field,” league spokesman Brian McCarthy said in an email.
As long as he continues to meet conditions of the agreement, Watson will make his regular-season debut for the Browns on Dec. 4 against Houston, which drafted him in 2017 and traded him to Cleveland in March for three first-round draft picks.
Before Monday, Watson had been allowed only to attend meetings and work out at the team’s facility in Berea. The Browns (3-6), who were blown out 39-17 on Sunday in Miami, don’t practice until Wednesday, when Watson will rejoin his teammates on the field for the first time in months.
“It’ll be great,” said wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones, adding Watson can provide a moral boost to the Browns even before playing. “He’s a leader. So his voice, what he thinks, can help us.”
Browns GM Andrew Berry recently said Watson will play against the Texans. The QB will need some time to ramp up to game speed after sitting out the entire 2021 season while demanding a trade.
When he takes the field in Houston, it will be 700 days between regular-season games for Watson, who played briefly in Cleveland’s exhibition opener at Jacksonville before his suspension began.
Jacoby Brissett has started the Browns’ first nine games and will play in at least two more – at Buffalo on Sunday and home against Tampa Bay on Nov. 26 – before Watson takes over.
Coach Kevin Stefanski said Watson will get some work starting this week in practice, but the focus will remain on Brissett taking the majority of snaps so he’s ready to play.
PANTHERS: Baker Mayfield is getting another chance as starting quarterback.
Mayfield, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft, will return to the Panthers’ starting lineup on Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens after P.J. Walker was diagnosed with a high left ankle sprain.
Walker was injured in the fourth quarter of Carolina’s 25-15 victory against the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night when two defensive players crashed into his leg. He got up with a slight limp, but remained in the game.
“It wasn’t something that was reported at the time,” Panthers interim head coach Steve Wilks said. “He just sucked it up. He played through it. As we evaluated him further, we realized he needed an MRI.”
Wilks said Walker will not play Sunday, but indicated he does not expect him to be placed on injured reserve.
Sam Darnold will be Mayfield’s backup. Mayfield declined comment to the media on Monday, saying he will talk on Wednesday.
• A number of Carolina Panthers players are pushing the team’s multibillionaire owner David Tepper to replace the existing artificial surface at Bank of America Stadium with a grass field to help prevent injuries.
Wide receiver D.J. Moore said team leaders have spoken to Tepper about their desire to return to a grass field on multiple occasions this season, but as of yet have not heard if any change is being considered.
Bank of America Stadium, an outdoor, open-air facility, was built in 1995 and featured a grass field up until the spring of 2021.
But Tepper decided to install FieldTurf as part of a $50 million renovation project after landing a Major League Soccer expansion team.
DOLPHINS: The Dolphins placed defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah on injured reserve after he suffered a season-ending triceps injury in Sunday’s 39-17 win over the Cleveland Browns.
Ogbah left in the second quarter of the game with what the team originally announced as an elbow injury and did not return.
“It was very unfortunate for him,” Dolphins Coach Mike McDaniel said. “It sucks because he is one of the type of veteran players that didn’t take his investment by the organization lightly. He’s just had hiccup after hiccup, just unfortunate luck this season with regard to health.”
Miami signed Ogbah to a four-year, $65 million contract this offseason after being a standout since joining the Dolphins as a free agent in 2020.
He had nine sacks in each of his first two seasons with the Dolphins, but will finish this season with just one.
His injury is another blow for the Miami defense, which has lost CB Nik Needham (Achilles), S Brandon Jones (knee) and LB Trey Flowers (foot) in recent weeks.
Miami added pass rushing help at the trade deadline, acquiring edge rusher Bradley Chubb from Denver.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.