The new NFL season is right around the corner and, amid the battle for the playoffs and eventual success in the Super Bowl, there's also the fight that nobody wants to admit they may like the idea of.

The team with the worst record in the NFL in the 2022 season will secure the first pick of the 2023 NFL Draft – theoretically allowing the worst teams to pick the best players, continuing a cycle of maintaining competitiveness across the league.

For the past two seasons, that opportunity has fallen to the Jaguars but, while 2022 may not be a fully enjoyable season in Jacksonville, there is at least hope that they can rise off the bottom after two seasons with a combined record of 4-29.

So, if not the Jaguars, then who? Stats Perform has crunched the numbers and given an assessment of four teams who could be in the hunt for the number one pick.

Houston Texans

There are few teams who head into 2022 with such a bleak picture across the entire team and Davis Mills, the quarterback tasked with helming the offense, has weak wide receiver options and an offensive line unable to provide him with much safety.

Last season, Houston were ranked dead last for the total number of first downs (266), and red-zone drives (37), as well as holding the worst yards-per-game average at 278.1 and the highest percentage of three-and-out drives (28.2)

Their first down efficiency, the percentage of first downs picking up four or more yards, was 42.9 per cent, again the worst across the league.

Defensively, things were not much better. When it came to stopping big plays where opponents gained 10 or more yards, the Texans were bottom of the class with 257 given up and allowed the most successful plays in the red zone with 55.9 per cent.

The Texans' opponents averaged 384.4 yards per game in 2021, which was the second-worst tally in the NFL - and Houston also ranked 31st for the average margin of defeat (17.15 pts).

Atlanta Falcons

Having traded away the greatest quarterback in their franchise history in Matt Ryan, the Falcons head into unchartered territory in 2022, but the signs are far from promising.

Marcus Mariota, entering his seventh year in the NFL, has been named as the Falcons' starting quarterback for the forthcoming season ahead of rookie Desmond Ridder, but has enjoyed limited playing time in recent years.

Getting up to speed with the offense will be even harder without Calvin Ridley, handed an indefinite suspension for betting during the 2021 season, though tight end Kyle Pitts and rookie receiver Drake London offer him two physically imposing targets.

Atlanta have also had problems retaining the ball, with the Falcons recording 30 fumbles last season, the most in the NFL - conceding possession on 11 occasions.

Things are worse on defense. In the 2021 season, the Falcons gave up an average of 364.4 yards per game and conceded an average of 27 points per game - the third-worst mark in the NFL behind only the New York Jets (29.6) and the Detroit Lions (27.5). Atlanta's is a talent-poor roster that looks primed to put them in contention for the first pick and a potential shot at a franchise quarterback.

New York Jets

The Jets' situation looks bleak before even diving into the stats, with the franchise 0-6 against division opponents in 2021 and having an overall record of 4-13 last season – only the Jaguars and the Lions held a worse return.

Positive moves were made in the 2022 NFL Draft, New York landing cornerback Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner, wide receiver Garrett Wilson and defensive end Jermaine Johnson in the first round – but getting immediate contributions from all three may be asking too much.

The Jets were comfortably the worst defensive team in the NFL last season, conceding an average of 397.6 yards per game, the highest in the NFL, and 29.6 points per game totalling 504 overall – the most by some distance ahead of the porous Lions (467).

Vulnerabilities were present across the field, with the Jets giving up an average of 138.3 rushing yards per game in 2021, the fourth-highest in the league, and 259.4 receiving yards per game, the third-highest total.

The Jets will be desperate to improve a turnover differential of minus 13. Doing so will be contingent on 2021 second overall pick recovering from his preseason knee injury and staying healthy and avoiding the poor decisions that were prevalent in his rookie year. He threw 11 of the Jets' 20 interceptions last season. 

If Wilson fails to make those strides, the Jets could be debating whether to replace him with one of 2023's top quarterback prospects with the number one pick.

Seattle Seahawks

Losing Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos is a hit likely to send the Seahawks to the NFC cellar, as their 2012 third-round pick was responsible for moments of magic that kept Seattle's head above water in recent years.

The strength of Pete Carroll's defense had defined his reign in Seattle, but the Seahawks have gradually declined to become one of the league's worst teams on that side of the ball. Seattle conceded an average of 379.1 yards per game in 2021 – the fifth-most in the league.

Seattle have particularly struggled defending the pass, giving up 265.5 yards per game through the air in 2021 – putting them behind only the Baltimore Ravens.

Neither of Wilson's replacements have previously shown any indication of elevating an offense to a level to mitigate the defensive struggles as the franchise legend did so often during his storied spell in Seattle.

Indeed, neither Drew Lock nor Geno Smith can be considered capable of filling the void left by the nine-time Pro Bowl QB.

Lock's interception percentage of 2.8 since entering the NFL in 2019 is the ninth-worst in the league in that time. Both Lock (6.54) and Smith (5.88) were among the five worst quarterbacks (min. 50 attempts) by pickable pass percentage last season.

Simply put, the Seahawks do not possess the quarterback play to allow for the defense to be as bad as it is. It's a transition year in Seattle, and the Seahawks could soon be transitioning to Wilson's long-term replacement with the top pick.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles explained Tom Brady's return to training camp after a planned absence has been a seamless one.

Brady left training camp on August 11 for an absence Bowles said was planned in advance so he could "deal with some personal things".

The seven-time Super Bowl champion returned to practice on Monday, as the Bucs step up their preseason preparations ahead of the new NFL campaign.

"Anytime you have all your guys back you feel good, you know, especially after the injury bug has hit lately. We're happy to have him back," Bowles told reporters.

Asked if Brady's attitude was a problem, or if his absence had in any way proved a distraction for the team, Bowles said: "He's been great. He's been great, same as when he left. He's been fine.

"We pretty much keep distractions out of our locker room. It wasn't a big deal to us because everybody knew what was going on."

As for what Brady has missed over the course of his break, Bowles added: "Probably just conditioning for the most part. He's a film junkie – I'm sure he's watched tape of everything.

"So [it's] him coming back in, picking up where he left off, just getting used to the mechanics again.

"He's very familiar with the offense, so him coming back in and us getting back to work is kind of normal. Just getting used to the heat and getting used to the guys, but he ran the offense well." 

Bowles might not believe Brady's team-mates were in any way distracted, but tight end Cameron Brate conceded it was "weird" not to have the 45-year-old around.

"It was definitely weird," Brate said. "Tom is such an omnipresent being, he's like the unquestioned leader of the team. For him to not be there for 11 days it was kind of a good opportunity for other guys to step up and fill that void.

"It was different, Tom is usually kind of cussing guys up and down the field when we're messing up, but we didn't really have that. It was different, but I thought some of the other veterans stepped up. I thought Blaine [Gabbert] did a good job commanding the first team offense while Tom was out.

!I'm sure wherever Tom was, he was working out still and getting his reps in. If anyone can get away with an 11-day break during training camp, it's Tom. He came back firing on all cylinders. We are all excited he's back, and we are ready to move on with that."

New York Giants rookie edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux is expected to miss around three weeks after sustaining a sprained right MCL in Sunday's 25-22 preseason win against the Cincinnati Bengals. 

Thibodeaux, the fifth overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, was hurt on a cut block from Bengals tight end Thaddeus Moss on a running play early in the second quarter. 

An MRI revealed the MCL sprain, leaving the door open for Thibodeaux to potentially play when New York open their season with a visit to the Tennessee Titans on September 11. 

"Fingers crossed," first-year Giants coach Brian Daboll said. "Hopefully his rehab goes well." 

New York selected Thibodeaux with the first of two top-10 choices in this year's draft following a standout three-year career at Oregon.

The 6ft 5in, 258-pound edge rusher amassed 19 sacks in 32 games for the Ducks, earned 2019 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year honours and was a unanimous All-American in 2021. 

Thibodeaux has been running with the first-team defense during training camp and is being counted on to boost a unit that tied for 22nd in the NFL with 34 sacks last season. 

The competition for the Carolina Panthers' starting quarterback job for the season opener is complete. 

Baker Mayfield will start in Week 1 when the Panthers host his former team – the Cleveland Browns – on September 11. 

"When we started this process, we were looking at three things," Carolina coach Matt Rhule said on Monday. "Number one, mastery of the offense, number two, situational football excellence, and number three, moving the ball and getting guys involved. That's been our focus all along. 

"Baker has made a lot of improvement, a lot of growth in all three areas in a short amount of time."

Mayfield and Sam Darnold had been battling for the starting job since the Panthers acquired Mayfield in a trade with the Browns in July. 

"All along, we've felt like we need to have a really strong quarterback room, and have every quarterback ready to play," Rhule said. "The reality of this league is most teams will play multiple quarterbacks. Sam has worked incredibly hard, played really well for us during training camp, and will be ready to go if and when it's needed."

Rhule was not ready to name a starting QB after the Panthers’ 20-10 loss to the New England Patriots on Friday – a game in which neither Mayfield nor Darnold played – but with rookie third-round draft pick Matt Corral suffering a Lisfranc ligament tear in his foot in that game and the season opener now less than three weeks away, he is ready to give Mayfield the opportunity to lead the offense in Week 1. 

"Like I said all along, when we know we know," Rhule said on Friday, "And we’ll announce something when it’s right."

Rhule did not say anything about the starting job being Mayfield’s all season, so it’s certainly possible Darnold could take over if the 27-year-old struggles or the losses pile up and the team needs a spark. 

The two signal-callers will be forever linked as the top two quarterbacks taken in the 2018 draft, with Mayfield going first overall to the Browns and Darnold being chosen third by the New York Jets. 

Mayfield started 59 games in his four seasons in Cleveland and helped lead the Browns to their first playoff victory since the 1994 season in 2020. 

He battled injuries in 2021, however, and his production on the field dipped as he posted an 83.1 passer rating – fourth lowest among the 30 QBs with at least 350 pass attempts – as Cleveland struggled to an 8-9 record, prompting the team to pursue Deshaun Watson in the trade market. 

Darnold spent three seasons with the Jets before being traded to the Panthers for draft picks last April. He won his first three starts with Carolina last season before finishing 4-7 with nine touchdown passes and 13 interceptions and a 71.9 QB rating – one spot worse than Mayfield. 

New York Giants rookie edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux left Sunday night’s 25-22 preseason win against the Cincinnati Bengals in the second quarter after apearing to suffer a knee injury when a blocker took out his legs.

Thibodeaux, the fifth overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, was hurt on a cut block from Bengals tight end Thaddeus Moss on a running play early in the second quarter. The 21-year-old was able to walk off the field under his own power and to the team’s sideline medical tent before being taken to the locker room.

The Giants later announced Thibodeaux would not return to the game, though Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reports the team’s initial belief is that he avoided a major injury. After the game when walking through the tunnels, Thibodeaux responded to reporters saying "I'm good... good news".

New York selected Thibodeaux with the first of two top-10 choices in this year’s draft following a standout three-year career at Oregon. The six-foot-five, 258-pound edge rusher amassed 19 sacks in 32 games for the Ducks, earned 2019 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year honours and was a unanimous All-American in 2021.

Thibodeaux has been running with the first-team defense during training camp and is being counted on to boost a unit that tied for 22nd in the NFL with 34 sacks last season.

Tom Brady's return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is imminent. 

Just days after saying he didn't have a definitive return date for the future Hall of Fame quarterback, Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles told reporters Sunday he will be back with the team early this week. 

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported he is expected to return on Monday. 

Brady left training camp on August 11 for an absence Bowles said was planned in advanced so he could "deal with some personal things" and he was scheduled to re-join the team after their preseason game against the Tennessee Titans this past Saturday.   

Two days before the Bucs' second preseason game, however, Bowles admitted he didn't know exactly when Brady would return.  

"We'll see. We'll talk about it next week," Bowles said on Thursday, via The Athletic. "I'm not concerned about it right now. We're trying to practice against Tennessee and play a game. I said sometime after Tennessee. There's no definitive date for me. We'll keep in touch and find out." 

His noncommittal update seemed to contradict what he said the previous week about Brady's scheduled absence, and his uncertainty about when he would return created a bit of a stir. 

A few days off wasn't entirely shocking for a 45-year-old quarterback who has had plenty of practice reps over a pro career that began in 2000, but an extended absence without a definite return date was more unusual. 

Bowles, though, seemed to quell any concern on Sunday by saying he will be back with the team shortly.  

Brady famously retired briefly this offseason before announcing in mid-March that he would return for a third season with Tampa Bay and 23rd in the NFL after leading the league with a career-high 5,316 passing yards in 2021, while also ranking first in passing touchdowns with 43.   

He led the Buccaneers to a 13-4 regular-season record and NFC South crown last year, but their season ended with a 27-20 loss to the eventual Super Bowl-champion Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.  

Tampa Bay begin this season at the Dallas Cowboys on September 11, and Bowles said last week Brady's absence would not affect the seven-time Super Bowl champion's availability for the opener.  

The Los Angeles Rams will be without their top draft pick for the 2022 season after Logan Bruss tore his ACL and MCL against the Houston Texans.

Bruss headed to Los Angeles as a third-round selection from Wisconsin and arrived with great potential as a right guard, starting the first two preseason games as competition for places heated up.

However, the 22-year-old will not feature in the upcoming campaign after sustaining a season-ending injury to his right knee in the second quarter on Friday against the Texans.

"We obviously drafted him with confidence that he could be a guy that could potentially contribute for us this year," Rams coach Sean McVay said.

"Unfortunately now, as a result of what's occurred, that won't be the case. But [you] put your arm around him, you help him attack the rehab the right way.

"And I trust that he's going to do everything in his power to come back better next year than he was this year."

Bruss had been competing with Coleman Shelton for the starting right guard spot, though it will be the latter who appears in Week 1 at home to the Buffalo Bills on September 9.

While McVay believes Shelton's versatility will help the Rams, the Los Angeles coach expects his other players to step up and seize their opportunities in the absence of Bruss.

"It's an unfortunate thing for Logan, but guys have to be able to step up," McVay added.

"And that's the unfortunate part about this business and this game is that injuries do occur and let's go ahead and respond the right way with the way we attack our rehab.

"I hate it for Logan, but I am encouraged and very excited and optimistic about what we can be up front this year."

Tremayne Anchrum Jr., AJ Jackson and Bobby Evans were all cited by McVay as those who have shown development in preseason and could excel in 2022.

"I've seen incredible strides from Tremayne Anchrum, he's been outstanding in the preseason," McVay said.

"I think he's really done an outstanding job in these first two preseason games of showing that he absolutely belongs and he's a guy that could play and be ready to go if need be. And then the same thing with AJ Jackson.

"Those guys have stood out, and then you've got a guy in Bobby Evans that has started at guard, he's started at tackle in meaningful games that we've won over the last couple of years.

"And then you've got some young intriguing prospects in guys that have been here."

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been dealt another blow to their offensive line after Aaron Stinnie suffered a knee injury in preseason on Saturday.

Ryan Jensen had already sustained a serious knee issue as Tampa Bay began their preseason camp, and Pro Bowler Tristan Wirfs soon joined him in the treatment room with an oblique injury.

The Bucs have already lost Ali Marpet to retirement, with Alex Cappa also becoming a free agent, and Stinnie gave his franchise more reason for concern after limping off against the Tennessee Titans.

Stinnie has been making a case for the starting left guard spot in quarterback Tom Brady's offensive line, but sustained the issue to his left knee after colliding with Ke'Shawn Vaughn and Adrian Colbert.

With Shaq Mason making the starting right guard spot his own, Luke Goedeke, Nick Leverett and Stinnie are fighting for the position on the opposite side.

Stinnie was said to have a strong chance at securing the role, having started three postseason games for the Bucs in 2020, but coach Todd Bowles now has another injury problem to contend with.

"We won't know until we get X-rays. But Goedeke – I've got to see the tape and looked like we couldn't move the ball at all, regardless of who was in there," Bowles said after Saturday's 13-3 defeat to the Titans.

"We'll look at the tape. My concern isn't as great right now. I'll see the tape and I'll go from there."

The Bucs have one preseason game to go against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday before their NFL campaign starts on the road at the Dallas Cowboys on September 12.

Tom Brady almost joined the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020 after a deal was brokered by UFC chief Dana White – only for Jon Gruden to walk away from negotiations in the final stages.

Elite quarterback and perennial winner Brady entered the 2020 season as a free agent, despite boasting six Super Bowl titles and nine AFC championships.

The Raiders, aided by the involvement of White, were reportedly set to swoop for the former New England Patriots star before the Tampa Bay Buccaneers secured a deal for one of NFL's most coveted names.

Brady would throw 4,633 passing yards and 40 touchdown passes as Tampa Bay won eight consecutive games en route to his seventh Super Bowl title in his maiden Buccaneers term.

The intervention of then-Raiders coach Gruden proved the stumbling point as Brady and colleague Rob Gronkowski, who was contracted to the Patriots at the time, ended up playing for Tampa Bay.

"I worked to put that deal together for Brady and Gronk to come to the Raiders," White said on ESPN during Saturday's UFC 278 coverage after being convinced by Gronkowski to tell the story.

"It was almost a done deal. And at the last minute, Gruden blew the deal up and said that he didn't want him and all hell broke loose, man. It was crazy.

"And Brady was already looking at houses. It wasn't said yet that Gronk was going to be coming. So Las Vegas would have had Brady and Gronk the year that the Bucs won the Super Bowl, except Gruden blew the deal up."

While Brady was said to have been a long-term target of the Raiders should he become a free agent, White believes the Las Vegas franchise could have comfortably secured Gronkowski as well.

Neither arrived and duly went on to Super Bowl success with the Buccaneers, with Gruden resigning as Raiders coach in October 2021 – yet Gronkowski has no regrets.

"I'm glad it did not go through," Gronkowski added. "It all worked out for the best, man. I'm glad we went to Tampa, man. It just worked out. I love that place."

Tampa Bay are preparing for their third campaign with Brady as their quarterback, though the veteran has not appeared at their training camp in pre-season.

The Carolina Panthers are expected to be without Matt Corral for the entire 2022 season after the rookie quarterback sustained a torn ligament in his left foot during Friday night's 20-10 preseason loss to the New England Patriots.

Carolina head coach Matt Rhule said Corral tore his Lisfranc ligament and appears headed for surgery, which would likely end his season.

"I would assume it would be a while; I would assume it would be a significant amount of time,'' Rhule said on Saturday. "I'm pretty sure it will be a long-term injury.''

The Panthers made a trade to move up in April’s draft and selected Corral in the third round out of Mississippi. The 94th overall selection was expected to serve as Carolina’s third-string quarterback behind Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold.

Rhule has yet to pick Mayfield or Darnold as his starter, and both sat out Friday’s game as Corral and P.J. Walker alternated quarters.

Corral finished nine of 15 for 58 yards, but had his foot stepped on late in the fourth quarter.

''I hate it for him,'' Rhule said. ''I thought he was playing well too. ... I thought I saw a lot of really nice signs early in the game where he found some guys that were open and did some really nice things.''

Rookie wide receivers Chris Olave and Romeo Doubs caught a touchdown pass each for their respective teams in the Green Bay Packers’ 20-10 preseason win over the New Orleans Saints on Friday night at Lambeau Field.

Olave, the 11th overall pick of the 2022 NFL draft, hauled in a 20-yard pass from Ian Book near the end of the first half for the Saints' lone touchdown. The former Ohio State standout finished with two catches for 28 yards.

Doubs, a fourth-round selection who has been rising up the pecking order during his first training camp, caught a touchdown pass for the second straight week when he and quarterback Jordan Love connected on a four-yard score that put Green Bay up 10-3 midway through the second quarter. The Nevada product caught three-of-five targets for 24 yards.

Love, the Packers' controversial 2020 first-round choice, started a second straight week with reigning league MVP Aaron Rodgers likely to be held out for the entire preseason. The 23-year-old managed just 113 yards on 12-of-24 passing while playing into the fourth quarter, but did not commit a turnover one week after throwing three interceptions in Green Bay’s 28-21 loss to San Francisco.

Book, New Orleans’ third-string quarterback, played the entire game with the Saints resting veteran Andy Dalton, and starter Jameis Winston sidelined with a foot injury. The former Notre Dame signal-caller completed 16 of 28 passes for 113 yards, while adding 49 rushing yards, but lost a fumble and was intercepted on consecutive drives in the second quarter.

New York Jets coach Robert Saleh laid it out bluntly when addressing Zach Wilson's availability for the NFL season-opener against the Baltimore Ravens on September 11. 

In his first public comments since Wilson had successful arthroscopic surgery on Tuesday in Los Angeles to repair a torn meniscus, Saleh did not rule out Wilson taking the field against the Ravens.

''If Zach is ready to play, he's going to be the Week 1 starter,'' Saleh said on Thursday. "'If he's not, Joe [Flacco] will. That's no secret." 

Wilson was injured while scrambling in the Jets' preseason opener last week against the Philadelphia Eagles, and the original diagnosis was he would be sidelined for two to four weeks.

The timeline remained the same after the surgery, and his availability will come down to if he is healthy enough to take the field. 

"It's really going to dictate on how he feels and when he's ready to go," Saleh said. "We're going to make sure we do right by him in terms of making sure that he's 100 per cent healthy. Whenever that is, that's when he'll hit the field."

The Jets plan to be cautious with the 23-year-old, who they selected second overall in last year's draft, as they hope he will be the franchise's long-term answer at quarterback. 

When Wilson hurt his knee last Friday, some feared his injury could miss the upcoming season.  However, he has already returned to the team facility after a cross-country flight and eager to get back to work. 

'"Zach flew back last night and he's here today,'" Saleh said. "'He's already walking. He's in really good spirits. And he's champing at the bit to get to rehab."

Last Thursday, Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles said Tom Brady was taking some planned time off and was scheduled to re-join the team after their preseason game against the Tennessee Titans on Saturday.  

A week later, Bowles admitted he didn't know exactly when the future Hall of Fame quarterback would return. 

"We'll see. We'll talk about it next week," Bowles said, via The Athletic. "I'm not concerned about it right now. We're trying to practice against Tennessee and play a game. I said sometime after Tennessee. There's no definitive date for me. We'll keep in touch and find out."

That update seemed to contrast what Bowles said a week ago, when he revealed Brady left training camp to "deal with some personal things" and implied everything was worked out. 

"This is something we talked about before training camp started," Bowles said last Thursday. "We allotted this time because [Brady] wanted to get in and get chemistry with the guys and go through two weeks of training camp."

Brady was not slated to play in Tampa Bay's first preseason game against Miami last weekend or the Titans matchup, so the absence isn't entirely shocking for a 45-year-old quarterback who has had plenty of practice reps over a pro career that began in 2000. 

However, Bowles' uncertainty as to when his first-choice QB will return is somewhat curious. 

Brady famously retired briefly this past offseason before announcing in mid-March that he would return for a third season with Tampa Bay and 23rd in the NFL after leading the league with a career-high 5,316 passing yards in 2021, while also ranking first in passing touchdowns with 43.  

He led the Buccaneers to a 13-4 regular-season record and NFC South crown last year, but their season ended with a 27-20 loss to the eventual Super Bowl-champion Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round of the playoffs. 

Tampa Bay begins this season at Dallas on September 11, and Bowles said last week Brady's absence would not affect the seven-time Super Bowl champion's availability for the opener. 

Deshaun Watson apologised for "any pain this situation has caused" before the Cleveland Browns quarterback insisted that was not an admission of guilt on any level over the accusations of sexual misconduct made against him.

Watson has received an 11-game suspension and a $5million fine after the NFL and NFL Players Association (NFLPA) reached an agreement over his punishment.

The 26-year-old faced 24 civil lawsuits over sexual assault and misconduct allegations. He was not charged by two grand juries and settled 20 of 24 lawsuits in June, with a further three settlements reported ahead of a hearing verdict early this month.

Watson was given an initial six-game suspension and no further fine after a disciplinary hearing conducted by former US district judge Sue L. Robinson. However, the NFL formally appealed against that ruling in order to seek further punishment, agreeing to the new sanctions with the NFLPA.

Watson's first game back is scheduled to be on December 4, against his former team the Houston Texans.

Having denied any wrongdoing after the accusations were made, Watson last week apologised to "all of the women that I have impacted".

A similar message came on Thursday in a statement from the Browns, in which Watson said he wished to "apologise once again for any pain this situation has caused".

"I take accountability for the decisions I made," Watson's statement added. "My focus going forward is on working to become the best version of myself on and off the field and supporting my team-mates however possible while I’m away from the team."

Just minutes later, Watson faced the press and said he would continue to "stand by my innocence".

Watson said it was important to swallow the punishment, stating: "My whole life has to be able to move forward."

He spoke of needing "to grow as a person", but refused to offer a view on the level of punishment dished out.

"I can't speak on the fairness," Watson said. "The NFL did what they had to do, and the NFLPA communicated with the legal side. I'm going to keep my opinion to myself."

Watson was not mincing his words when he added: "I'm moving on with my career and my life, and I'm continuing to stand on my innocence. Just because a settlement's been paid, it doesn't mean a person is guilty for anything."

When asked about whether he would tell all at some point, Watson said: "That's definitely the plan, that's definitely the goal. I've felt like through this whole process I've been trying to tell my side of the story, but a lot of people didn't really pay much attention to it."

He said he needed "to do what's best for Deshaun Watson" and said he could not control public opinion.

On top of the ban and fine, Watson will be required to commit to an evaluation with behavioural experts while also following a mandatory treatment programme. He says he wants to prove himself to the Cleveland community.

"Counselling is definitely a big part of that," Watson said. "I'll continue to show my face and show people who I really am."

Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam issued a joint statement in which they spoke of "a real opportunity to create meaningful change", saying they were "committed to investing in programmes in Northeast Ohio that will educate our youth regarding awareness, understanding, and most importantly, prevention of sexual misconduct and the many underlying causes of such behaviour".

Deshaun Watson has received an 11-game suspension and a $5million fine after the NFL and NFLPA reached an agreement over the Cleveland Browns quarterback's punishment.

The 26-year-old faced 24 civil lawsuits over sexual assault and misconduct allegations. He was not charged by two grand juries and settled 20 of 24 lawsuits in June, with a further three settlements reported ahead of a hearing verdict early this month.

Watson was initially given a six-game suspension and no further fine after a disciplinary hearing conducted by former US district judge Sue L. Robinson.

The NFL formally appealed against that ruling in order to seek further punishment, and they have now agreed an extended suspension and fine with the NFLPA.

Watson will additionally be required to commit to an evaluation with behavioural experts while also following a mandatory treatment program.

The ban means that Watson's first game back is scheduled to be on December 4, against his former team the Houston Texans.

Watson denied any wrongdoing after the accusations were made. He then last week apologised to "all of the women that I have impacted."

The Texans traded the three-time Pro Bowler to Cleveland in March, and the Browns promptly signed Watson to a five-year, $230m extension that is entirely guaranteed.