Deshaun Watson is eligible to start practicing with Browns

He is not eligible to play in a game until Dec. 4 when the Browns visit the Houston Texans, Watson's former team.

He has not appeared in a regular-season game since the 2020 season.

Watson was suspended by the NFL after facing more than two dozen lawsuits from women that accused him of sexual misconduct during massages.

He was initially given a six-game suspension but the NFL appealed that ruling and pushed for a full-season ban and a hefty fine. Eventually, the NFL and the NFLPA agreed to the 11-game suspension with a $5 million fine.

The Browns traded a massive haul of draft picks to the Texans, including several first-round picks, to acquire Watson this offseason and then signed him to a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract. 

In his absence, the Browns have started Jacoby Brissett at quarterback with very mixed results. Following Sunday's 39-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins, the Browns are 3-6 and tied for third place in the AFC North with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Their playoff hopes would seem to be fully dashed at this point.

The big question is going to be what sort of player Watson is when he returns. Early in his career, he looked like a rising superstar in the league and one of the best dual-threat signal callers in the NFL. But going nearly two full years without playing a meaningful down of football is going to be difficult to come back from. He sat out the entire 2021 season as a member of the Houston Texans prior to getting suspended this year.