The NFL and the NFLPA officially brought the Deshaun Watson saga to an end on Thursday, and NFL fans won’t see the quarterback on the field for the Browns in a regular-season game for quite a while.
The NFL and NFLPA settled Watson’s case before Peter C. Harvey could hear the appeal of the case filed by the league. Harvey had the power to suspend Watson for a whole season, which matched the suspension length for which the NFL was pushing.
However, the league agreed to drop some games from its preferred suspension if Watson accepted a hefty fine and agreed to continue counseling. As such, while the Cleveland quarterback won’t be on the field for most of the 2022 NFL season, he will have a chance to return at the end of it.
Watson’s return date is of particular interest, too. When he returns to the field, it will be in a rather interesting spot as he faces off against a team that he knows well.
So, when can Watson return to action, and against who will he play? Here’s what to know about his potential return from suspension later in the 2022 NFL season.
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How long is Deshaun Watson suspended?
Watson has been suspended 11 games by the NFL as a result of the allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct against him.
Watson’s 11-game ban marks the longest suspension for violent or non-violent sexual conduct in the history of the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy, per Daniel Wallach. It also marks the first time that the NFL has ever suspended a player for exactly 11 games.
In addition to the suspension, Watson will have to pay a $5 million fine — which amounts to 2 percent of his newly signed, fully guaranteed deal — and will need to continue to seek counseling.
MORE: Full details of Deshaun Watson’s suspension, explained
When is Deshaun Watson eligible to return?
Watson will miss Cleveland’s first 11 games of the season. That means he won’t be eligible to play until Week 13, as the Browns have their bye week in Week 9.
Ironically, Watson will be eligible to play his first regular-season game with the Browns against his former team, the Texans. Houston traded Watson to the Browns in March of 2022; the team received five draft picks, including three first-round selections, for Watson and another draft pick.
Watson last played for the Texans on Jan. 3, 2021 in a Week 17 matchup against the Titans. He missed the entire 2021 season due to a combination of his off-the-field issues and a trade request he made of the Texans before the allegations against him surfaced.
MORE: Why the Texans can win big after Deshaun Watson’s suspension
By the time Watson is eligible to play for the Browns on Dec. 3, it will have been 700 days since his last NFL regular-season action.
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