Deshaun Watson returns to practice; Jacoby Brissett focused on his work
With Deshaun Watson returning to practice for the first time since Aug. 30, how is the Browns’ current starter, Jacoby Brissett, taking it?
Deshaun Watson returned to practice Wednesday.
The Cleveland Browns quarterback has been sidelined since the end of August due to violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy, and has not played a regular-season game since Jan. 3, 2021.
Jacoby Brissett, however, remains the Browns’ starter for two more games as Watson completes his 11-game suspension.
When Brissett was asked Wednesday, “how do you balance the first-team reps for the quarterbacks?”, the 29-year-old responded that it was not his job to do that.
“How do I? That’s not my job to balance it,” he said Wednesday. “It’s coach’s job to balance how he splits things up and stuff like that. I just have to go out there and prepare like I always prepare. Do my job and then control what I can control. That’s something I can’t control, and I’m honestly not trying to.”
Will Deshaun Watson start in Week 13?
Coach Kevin Stefanski declined to give out any plan details for Watson, and whether he would get work with the first team. During the Browns’ bye week in Week 9, however, Cleveland general manager Andrew Berry told reporters that Watson will take over as the team’s starting QB as soon as he is back from his suspension.
The 27-year-old will return Week 13, against his old team, the Texans, on November 28 in Houston.
Brissett, meanwhile, is focusing on himself, ahead of Sunday’s matchup against the Buffalo Bills.
“I feel confident that I’ll be more than fine going into the game,” Brissett said.
Brissett has started all nine games for Cleveland this season, and has completed 63.8 percent of his passes for 2,074 yards, eight touchdowns and five interceptions. His 87.1 passer rating ranks 19th in the NFL and he ranks 17th in passing expected points added (EPA) per dropback.