Watson has been accused by two dozen massage therapists in Texas of sexual misconduct, and the three-time Pro Bowl selection faces possible punishment from league disciplinary officer Sue L. Robinson, who has been weighing his case for weeks.
There had been an expectation that Robinson, a retired judge who was jointly appointed by the league and NFL Players Association to handle player penalties, would render her decision before camp, but that didn’t happen.
The 26-year-old Watson did not speak to the media on Day 1, when the Browns were forced to practice inside their field house because of rain.
Amid the uncertainty surrounding Watson’s future, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said the team has a plan in place for its quarterbacks and is ready to adapt depending on the length of any ban.
Stefanski reiterated that veteran backup Jacoby Brissett will be Cleveland’s starting QB if Watson is suspended. For now, all four quarterbacks — Watson, Brissett, Josh Rosen, and Josh Dobbs — will get work.
“Guys will rotate in there like we always do,” he said. “If you saw in spring, we rotated Deshaun and Jacoby as well, so that really doesn’t change. The truth is we have to get all of those guys ready to play.”
Stefanski conceded a suspension will force the Browns to adapt.
“We have a plan and we’ll see what information becomes available, but certainly more information may adjust what we’re doing,” he said.
Side sessions
Jimmy Garoppolo got his throwing done early and then didn’t take part in the first practice of training camp for the 49ers as the team hopes to find a trade partner for the former starting quarterback.
Star receiver Deebo Samuel was a “hold in” on Day 1 of camp, running on the side while his teammates practiced as his representatives work on getting a new contract.
While finding a trade partner for Garoppolo may be harder than working out a new contract with Samuel, it’s much less critical.
Samuel was the focal point on San Francisco’s offense last season when he gained 1,770 yards from scrimmage and scored 14 touchdowns. Getting him on the field working with new starting quarterback Trey Lance is important this summer but apparently will have to wait until Samuel gets a new contract.
Samuel is entering the final year of his rookie deal that will pay him less than $4 million in 2022, while 12 receivers have contracts worth at least $20 million a year after an offseason spending spree at the position.
“We all know there’s a lot going on with Deebo right now,” coach Kyle Shanahan said. “They’re talking nonstop right now so we’ll see what happens.”
Burrow on mend
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has had a successful appendectomy, but there is no timetable for his return to the field, coach Zac Taylor said. Taylor said he didn’t expect the star quarterback to fall behind in practice. Burrow had surgery Tuesday and Taylor expected Burrow to be released from the hospital Wednesday, which happened to be the first official day of workouts for the Bengals. “The good news is he has two years in [the system],” Taylor said. “He knows it. He still has his iPad. He won’t be behind the eight-ball.” Backups Brandon Allen and Jake Browning will take the snaps until Burrow’s return, likely in a couple of weeks … Mekhi Becton and his pancake blocks are being flipped to the right side of the Jets’ offensive line. Coach Robert Saleh announced after the team’s first training camp practice that Becton will be the starting right tackle this season. The 2020 first-round draft pick entered his first two NFL seasons as the starter on the left side. George Fant, who took over at left tackle when Becton was hurt in the season opener last year, will remain at that spot … The Cardinals are hopeful that newly acquired receiver Marquise Brown won’t miss much time with an injured hamstring. The team put Brown on the active/non-football injury list on Tuesday, meaning the receiver counts toward the 90-man preseason roster but can’t practice or play until he’s removed from the list. Coach Kliff Kingsbury said Brown hurt his hamstring last week while he was running routes. “We’re just being precautionary,” Kingsbury said. “We know when he practices, he practices hard. He’s going to put in the work. So we want to make sure when he comes back, he’s full strength.” Brown’s health is crucial because the Cardinals are counting on him to fill the void left by DeAndre Hopkins, who will miss the first six games of the season after violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancers … Packers offensive tackle David Bakhtiari said he feels better but won’t predict when he might play again as he recovers from a knee injury that’s now more than 1½ years old. Bakhtiari has played just one game since tearing his left anterior cruciate ligament on Dec. 31, 2020. The left tackle underwent a third procedure on the knee during the offseason and was on the physically unable to perform list as the Packers opened camp. “It’s a nightmare, my nightmare that I have to live,” Bakhtiari said. “I don’t know how many days it’s been, but I’m just excited to wake up [from the nightmare] one day.” The Packers remain hopeful that Bakhtiari will be ready for the start of the season. “I think we’re cautiously optimistic,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said.
