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The NFL has now officially changed the suspension for Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson. After a mediocre six-game suspension, they went back to the drawing board and have now decided: It is 11 games for Watson, according to Josina Anderson of CBS.
I’m told #Browns QB Deshaun Watson will be suspended 11 games and fined $5M, per league source.
— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) August 18, 2022
Watson now gets 11 games and a $5 million fine, which is a significant bump from his previous suspension. However, there is an interesting wrinkle in this suspension.
He will return for Week 13. The Browns’ opponent for that week?
You guessed it: The Houston Texans.
BREAKING: The NFL and NFLPA have reached a settlement in the Deshaun Watson case: Watson is suspended 11 games and will receive a $5 million fine. Watson will also undergo a treatment program.
Watson will return vs. the Texans, his former team, in Houston.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) August 18, 2022
You can’t make this stuff up. Baker Mayfield will face his former team in Week 1 with the Carolina Panthers, and Watson will make his regular-season debut for the Browns against his former team.
Fans took notice of this development of the NFL deciding to have Watson return against Houston, which sure seems like an odd coincidence.
Lol… the NFL is wild… shows exactly what they about… 11 games just happens to fall on the game where Deshaun comes back to Houston and the storylines are the highest it can get when he returns… https://t.co/iYa3rxhppq
— Ron Hughley (@RealRonHughley) August 18, 2022
that means first game back is in Houston. That feels weird, NFL https://t.co/0AkSQ1wtxD
— Clinton Yates (@clintonyates) August 18, 2022
Which means Deshaun Watson’s return to football will come in week 13 @ Houston!!!! 🤦♂️ https://t.co/s01xdnngqR
— Tim Micallef (@tim_micallef) August 18, 2022
First game back at Houston NFL knows what they doing 😂😬💰💰 https://t.co/TP3lDFwdEP
— 𝙈𝙚𝙡𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝘼𝙇𝙙𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙨 ™ (@AIR305) August 18, 2022
At Houston as Deshaun Watson's first game back seems even more offensive than the 6 games jesus https://t.co/GUJ1DprCyF
— Buck Reising (@BuckReising) August 18, 2022
Deshaun Watson’s return is now slated for Week 13…
against the Texans.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) August 18, 2022
I guarantee you that the NFL suspended Deshaun Watson for 11 games, not 12, because they wanted him to face the Texans in the first game back. They know that game is going to be national news and they want the spotlight. The NFL only cares about their bottom line.
— Tyler (@TylerFFCreator) August 18, 2022
deshaun watson suspension ending for the browns vs texans game isn’t sus at all 🥴
— gabb 💕 (@gabbgoudy) August 18, 2022
So, there you have it. Deshaun Watson is out for 11 games and will return against the Texans…in Houston. We can only imagine what the response will be for Watson against his former team, one in which he left a sour taste in their mouths.
Derwin James got a baaaaagggggg. https://t.co/jmrWjN7J5e
— Highly Clutch (@HighlyClutch) August 17, 2022
Jacoby Brissett figures to be the starter for Cleveland unless they end up trading for Jimmy Garoppolo. Either way, the Watson suspension is finalized once and for all.