Editors’ note: This story contains accounts of sexual assault. If you or someone you know is a survivor of sexual assault, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or at https://www.rainn.org.
Browns quarterback Jacoby Brissett said that he plans to take a “next man up” mentality as he prepares to take over for Deshaun Watson to start the season.
Brissett’s likely step up to Cleveland’s QB1 comes after independent arbitrator Sue L. Robinson, the disciplinary officer appointed by the NFL and players association, ruled that Watson should be suspended for six games to start the 2022 season.
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski previously said Brissett would serve as the team’s starting quarterback if Watson was unavailable to begin the year, setting up the 29-year-old to line up under center for the first six weeks of the season.
“It’s been my situation throughout my career,” Brissett said Tuesday, per ESPN’s Jake Trotter. “Nothing that I’m unfamiliar with. Always been ready to go, whenever my number’s called and that’s the case at this point now.”
Brissett, who signed a one-year deal with the Browns this offseason, is right to say that he’s no stranger to stepping into the starting role as a backup. As a rookie in 2016, he had to take over under center after Tom Brady was suspended for “Deflategate and Jimmy Garoppolo sustained a shoulder injury. Brissett was then handed the Colts’ starting job just before the start of the ’19 season following Andrew Luck’s sudden retirement.
Last year, Brissett replaced injured Dolphins starter Tua Tagovailoa in Week 2.
“Since I’ve been in this league, it’s been the next man up,” Brissett said, per Trotter. “So that experience obviously helps with not only the playing, but also like the mindset of understanding—you gotta be ready whenever your number is called.”
Brissett has made 37 career starts, posting a record of 14–23. He’s completed 60.2% of his passes for 1,208 yards with 36 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.
Watson’s proposed punishment comes after the league’s investigation into the sexual harassment and assault allegations levied against the Browns’ quarterback that lasted well over a year. More than two dozen women have detailed graphic accounts of sexual harassment and sexual assault that occurred during massage therapy sessions. The accounts range from Watson allegedly refusing to cover his genitals to the quarterback “touching [a plaintiff] with his penis and trying to force her to perform oral sex on him.”
Brissett said he had not spoken to Watson about the suspension and that he wasn’t planning to read Robinson’s 16-page report, according to Trotter.
“I feel that is Deshaun’s business,” Brissett said, “I would like to stay out of that.”
The NFL and NFLPA will both have the option to appeal the ruling, which would result in league commissioner Roger Goodell either making a final decision or calling upon an independent ruler, according to ESPN’s Sarah Barshop. However, the union released a statement before the ruling that it planned to abide by Robinson’s recommendation, urging the NFL to do the same.
The league also released a statement Monday, saying that it planned to review the ruling before determining its next steps.
