Deshaun Watson is back at Cleveland Browns practice after serving his suspension and impressing his coaches. The quarterback has clearly made good use of his time away from the team.

Munich/Cleveland – It must have been half an eternity for Deshaun Watson: The quarterback is back at practice for the Cleveland Browns, taking the field with his teammates this week for the first time since Aug. 30.

And impressed from the start as if he had never been away.

“He looked good,” offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt said. “I know he worked hard while he wasn’t with us. I’m glad to see him out there. He made some throws after practice. We call that the ‘opportunity phase’ and we thought, ‘OK, that’s impressive.”

Deshaun Watson: Possible comeback against former team

Watson was traded from the Houston Texans to the Browns in the offseason. Due to numerous allegations of sexual abuse, he was suspended by the NFL for eleven games for violating the league’s rules of conduct, which included being away from the team and practice for a period of time.

Watson could play again for the first time on 4 December – against the Texans, of all teams. Currently, the Browns are 3-6 under Watson’s replacement Jacoby Brissett, with the team facing the Buffalo Bills on Sunday as part of the 11th day of play, followed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Right now, it’s about finding a balance in bringing Watson back and getting Brissett properly prepared. “You have the target you want to achieve and what reps you can give Deshaun that you feel Jacoby has understood well and doesn’t need again,” Van Pelt said. “You try to make sure you pick the right plays for Deshaun while not shortchanging Jacoby and his preparation. “

Deshaun Watson is ready

What caught Van Pelt’s eye was that Watson has obviously made good use of the past few weeks to study the playbook and sharpen his playcalling. “They were very clean, good calls. I think that’s probably the most important thing I noticed: that he’s got the language down.”

There’s a good chance – in part because of the athletic situation – that Watson will be the starter against the Texans. For Van Pelt, Watson is “ready to go. He looks good. When the time comes, we’ll be ready for it. “