Deshaun Watson is set to take over as the Cleveland Browns' starter from Week 13, but the team do not expect the suspended quarterback to "shoulder everything" as they make a late playoff run.
Watson was handed an 11-game suspension and a $5million fine following sexual assault and misconduct allegations.
That means the QB is yet to debut for the Browns after his March trade from the Houston Texans, which was followed by a lucrative new contract in Cleveland.
But the Browns are already putting together plans to integrate Watson into their lineup, with the 27-year-old "back in the building" and "in great shape", according to general manager Andrew Berry.
"He's done everything and more that's been asked of him," Berry added.
While Watson has been sidelined, Jacoby Brissett has deputised as the starting QB for the 3-5 Browns.
"Jacoby has been everything that we hoped when we signed him," Berry said on Wednesday, but he confirmed when asked Watson would be in line to start as soon as he was available.
That would mean a Browns debut against his former team the Texans on December 4, by which point the team will hope they are not cut adrift in the AFC North.
The Browns are third now, already two games behind leaders the Baltimore Ravens, but Berry says they are not looking for Watson to perform a one-man rescue act.
"We spent a lot of time with Deshaun in the spring in camp and banked a lot of good reps during the time," he said.
"Our approach isn't really with any quarterback but certainly with the time that Deshaun has had off to expect him to shoulder everything.
"That's not necessarily how the team is designed or put together. I don't know that would be a fair ask for any quarterback.
"In a couple of weeks, we'll be in that world where we're getting him ready to play, and we'll handle it appropriately."
Watson last played in 2020, but Berry added: "I don't think that transition will be quite as challenging as maybe some are anticipating."
Eagles lock up wide receiver Smith through 2028
The Philadelphia Eagles locked up wide receiver DeVonta Smith through the 2028 season on Monday.
Philadelphia exercised its fifth-year option on Smith for the 2025 season and agreed to terms on a three-year contract extension that runs through 2028.
Smith’s extension is reportedly worth $75million, including $51million in guaranteed money.
Philadelphia selected Smith with the 10th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft after he won the Heisman Trophy with Alabama in 2020.
Smith was the first wide receiver to win the Heisman since Desmond Howard in 1991 and first non-quarterback or running back to capture the honour since cornerback Charles Woodson in 1997.
Smith has caught 240 passes for 3,178 yards and 19 touchdowns in 50 regular-season games while adding 27 receptions for 405 yards and a TD catch in five postseason contests.
OJ Simpson: Cherished star whose fall from grace was seen live by millions on TV
From cherished American superstar to villain whose murder trial captivated a global audience, OJ Simpson’s fall from grace was startling.
Simpson, nicknamed ‘The Juice’, has died at the age of 76 after losing his battle with prostate cancer, leaving behind four children.
Before the low-speed car chase by police and ‘Trial of the Century’ that began the unravelling of his reputation, Simpson was a darling of American sport who had also carved out a successful acting career.
He was raised in a low income neighbourhood in San Francisco and joined a local gang but his athleticism offered a route out and he found his purpose in gridiron.
A prolific running back, he starred for USC and in 1968 won the Heisman Trophy awarded to the outstanding player in college football. Inevitably, he was first overall draught pick the following year.
Progress in his first couple of seasons at the Buffalo Bills was slow but his impact grew and he went on to become one of the most successful operators in his position, winning the NFL’s most valuable player in 1973 and being inducted into the hall of fame in 1985.
He became the game’s highest paid player and lucrative commercial deals also followed as companies looked to leverage his charisma and popularity, while his acting career included parts in blockbusters ‘Towering Inferno’ and ‘The Naked Gun’.
For all his film presence he was little known outside the United States but that changed for all the wrong reasons when he was arrested in 1994 for the murder of his former wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ronald Goldman.
Brown and Goldman had been found stabbed to death in LA and once police had filed charges, Simpson refused to turn himself in and was pursued in an extraordinary car chase that was at low speed because he had a gun pointed to his head.
The event was televised live to millions and projected his notoriety worldwide, with the broadcasting of his subsequent murder trial only intensifying interest in this fallen star.
He was acquitted the following year but a civil lawsuit found him liable for the deaths, resulting in an order to pay £26.7million pounds to the victims of the families. Only a fraction of that amount was actually paid.
Arrests followed for a variety of offences in the early 2000s and his lowest point eventually came in 2007 when he was charged with armed robbery and kidnapping.
He served nine of a 33-year jail sentence and upon his release he continued to live in Las Vegas, looking increasingly frail when in public but active on social media. Simpson always maintained his innocence of the murders.
OJ Simpson dies aged 76
OJ Simpson has died of cancer at the age of 76.
Simpson was a running back for the Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers from 1969 to 1979, before being acquitted of murder in a trial in the mid-1990s.
News of Simpson’s death was announced by his children on his X account.
“On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer,” read a statement.
“He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren. During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace. -The Simpson Family”
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