Deshaun Watson is all smiles as he RETURNS to practice with the Browns while serving his 11-game ban

He won’t be starting this Sunday in snowy Buffalo, but Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson finally participated in his first regular-season practice with the team since being suspended 11 games over claims of sexual misconduct.

The 27-year-old signal caller took reps with the Browns at the team facility in Berea, Ohio on Wednesday, marking his first action with his new club since training camp.

The practice is a significant step for the three-time Pro Bowler, who was accused of sexual misconduct by more than two dozen women while he played for Houston. He has denied allegations of sexual assault, and a pair of Texas grand juries opted against charging him, but Watson did apologize during August’s training camp to ‘all the women I have impacted.’

Watson reached a settlement with the league in August to sit out 11 games, pay a $5 million fine and undergo counseling and treatment.

To this point, the league said he’s fulfilled those obligations.

‘Watson has thus far complied with the requirements set out in the August agreement, including evaluation by an NFL-NFLPA jointly appointed clinical professional and participation in a treatment program designed by behavioral experts, and is expected to continue to do so following his return to the football field,’ league spokesman Brian McCarthy said in an email.

As long as he continues to meet conditions of the agreement, Watson will make his regular-season debut for the Browns on December 4 against Houston, which drafted him in 2017 and traded him to Cleveland in March for three first-round draft picks. The Browns subsequently gave Watson a new, five-year, fully guaranteed $230 million deal.

When he takes the field in Houston next month, it will be 700 days between regular-season games for Watson, who played briefly in Cleveland’s exhibition opener at Jacksonville before his suspension began.

Jacob Brissett has gone 3-6 as the Browns starter, and will get the nod again on Sunday, when Cleveland plays the Bills in Orchard Park, where as much as six feet of snow could fall ahead of the 1pm kickoff.

Fortunately for the Browns, Brissett has experience playing in snowy Western New York, having started against the Bills for the Indianapolis Colts in the famed ‘Snow Bowl’ of 2017.

Not only was Watson allowed to return to practice this week, but now he’s reportedly splurged on a $5.4 million home in nearby Hunting Valley.

News of Watson’s home purchase was first reported by Clevescene.com, which claims the home was originally listed at $6.9 million.

The opulent brick home is 10,788 square feet, and boasts five bedrooms, 6.5 bathrooms, a theatre, full bar, pool, tennis and volleyball courts, and its on 5.79 acres of land.

Browns general manager Andrew Berry recently said Watson will play against the Texans. The QB will need some time to ramp up to game speed after sitting out the entire 2021 season while demanding a trade.

Coach Kevin Stefanski said Watson will get some work starting this week in practice, but the focus will remain on Brissett taking the majority of snaps so he’s ready to play.

‘We’ll have a plan for him (Watson) to start getting ready,’ Stefanski said. ‘But Jacoby is the No. 1 priority in getting ready to play in this game. Whatever we do for Deshaun won’t take away from Jacoby’s preparation.’

Watson insists he did not harass any of the women, who accused him of lewd behavior during massage therapy sessions. He settled 23 of 24 civil lawsuits filed against him and was named in another last month.

Two grand juries declined to indict Watson on criminal charges, who has denied sexually assaulting anyone.