Browns' Fujita returns to practice this week

Cleveland Browns linebacker Scott Fujita was returned to the team's 53-man roster on Monday and will practice this week.

The NFL had given the Browns a roster exemption on Friday after an appeals panel overturned Fujita's suspension for his alleged participation in a bounty program. That allowed the Browns to have 54 players for the opener. That exemption was lifted Monday with Fujita taking the roster spot that had been occupied by cornerback Joe Haden, who has been suspended for four games for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy.

Fujita was not able to practice or attend meetings all week before the suspension was overturned. He became eligible to play in the Browns' opener on Sunday, but he did not play.

"Scott hadn't practiced. I think that was part of it," Browns head coach Pat Shurmur told the media Tuesday regarding why Fujita did not play Sunday. "The game plan was set up where we knew we were going to be in a lot of two-linebacker sets quite a bit because of as much three wide-outs that Philadelphia played. We felt like we just wanted to go with the guys that had practiced and gotten ready to play."

Shurmur said Fujita will practice this week.

"Yeah, he'll be out there," Shurmur said.