Deshaun Watson is going to walk onto a regular-season practice field on Wednesday. What that means for the Cleveland Browns is vastly different than the unrealized hopes and dreams of September.
When the 2022 season started, the ceiling for the Browns (3-6) was to hand off a playoff contending team to Watson in Week 13. But something closer to the basement has unfolded for a variety of reasons.
The only thing that matters now is reality for the franchise. The brutal truth is Watson’s return from an 11-game suspension is a starting point.