What Deshaun Watson's return means for Browns

Deshaun Watson. Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK

What Deshaun Watson's return means on the field for Browns

By Ryan Sharp | Last updated 11/29/22

After he served an 11-game suspension, the Browns added QB Deshaun Watson to their 53-man roster Monday. He will start Sunday against his former team, the Texans -- Watson's first game since Jan. 3, 2021.

Does he give Cleveland a shot at making the playoffs?

The Browns had hoped Jacoby Brissett would play well enough to keep them in playoff contention when Watson returned, but they are 4-7 with a six percent chance of reaching the postseason, per FiveThirtyEight.

If the Browns win all their remaining regular-season games, those chances rise to 81 percent. Per Tankathon, Cleveland has the ninth-easiest remaining schedule.

Although the Browns' playoff chances are slim, Watson gives the team a much better chance than Brissett.

#Browns had to at least split the Bills/Buccaneers game to retain a faint playoff hope with the reinstatement of Deshaun Watson week 13. They did it. Cleveland’s season isn’t over yet.
— Charles Robinson (@CharlesRobinson) November 27, 2022

In his last season, in 2020, Watson played at an elite level. He earned a Pro Football Focus grade of 92.5, second among all starting QBs, and led the league with 4,823 passing yards.

In his past 22 games with Miami and Cleveland, Brissett passed for 3,891 yards.

Pairing Watson with RB Nick Chubb and WR Amari Cooper could give the offense a major spark.

Watson returned to practice two weeks ago, but Brissett continued to take first-team reps in practice.

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, however, seems confident the transition to Watson will go smoothly.

“Next step is obviously being out there taking all of the first-team reps. He has been doing a nice job getting the defense ready with the scout team reps that he has gotten,” Stefanski said of Watson during a news conference Monday.

Watson returned to the Browns' facility on Oct. 10, giving him time to build chemistry with the rest of the team.

In August, the NFL suspended Watson for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy after more than two dozen women filed civil lawsuits against him alleging he committed sexual misconduct. In addition to the suspension, he was fined $5 million and required to attend a mandatory treatment program.

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