Deshaun Watson news: Browns brace for punishment, and what it means

The Cleveland Browns are reportedly bracing for a suspension of quarterback Deshaun Watson but the impact on their season may be minimal.

When the Browns made the decision to trade for Deshaun Watson, they knew they risked not having their new franchise quarterback for a chunk of the 2022 season, if not more.

So it’s no surprise that the franchise has been waiting on pins and needles to find out exactly how long Watson will be suspended by the NFL

Now we have an idea of how long Cleveland expects said suspension to be.

Deshaun Watson news: Browns brace for punishment, and what it mean

According to a league source of Mike Florio from Pro Football Talk, “the Browns privately are bracing for an eight-game suspension of Watson.”

Florio had earlier reported on rumors that Watson and the Players Association were prepared to file a lawsuit if the NFL tried to suspend the quarterback for a full year. A more likely range of “two to eight games” was given.

Even if Watson gets hit with the max in that range, it’s a huge win for the Browns. Managing an eight-game suspension would be a whole lot preferable to having to delay Watson’s debut for a year.

All this means Jacoby Brissett is more likely to be Cleveland’s solution to a Watson suspension. The Browns could try to find another quarterback like Cam Newton to hold the reins for that stretch, but it should be short enough to not require that extra step.

Brissett may not be a particularly inspiring option but he has a 9-11 record as a starter in the last three years.

Unquestionably the Browns would prefer Watson to get the lightest suspension possible. When it comes to just eight games, they shouldn’t have too big of a problem navigating that scenario.