For the first time, the Cleveland Browns sound unsure about Deshaun Watson and when the $230 million quarterback return to the practice field.
Watson has been out recovering from an Achilles injury. He initially ruptured the Achilles in October of last year. Watson suffered a setback in January that requried a second surgery and was expected to miss most of this season.
Watson has been showing his progress on social media and an assesment was expected to be made during the bye week. The Browns did not clear him for a return to practice last week following the break. Head coach Kevin Stefanski is unsure of the plan this week.
“I’m not sure if that’s what we’re doing,” Stefanski said when asked if Watson would return to practice.
When Watson is medically cleared, the Browns can open his 21-day practice window. The team can activate him to the 53-man roster at any time during that span. If not, he’ll remain on reserve/Physically Unable to Perform list for the remainder of the season.
Browns Stick With Dillon Gabriel
The statement from Stefanski comes with some current — and familiar — turbulence at the quarterback position in Cleveland. Rookie Dillon Gabriel is 1-4 as the starter, passing for just 167 yards in Sunday’s 27-20 loss to the New York Jets.
Stefanski quieted any noise about Gabriel being replaced next week, immediatley saying he’ll remain the starter next week after Sunday’s loss.
“Yeah, we’re going to stick with Dillon,” Stefanski said. “Obviously, this is a young player that you’re always trying to get one game better and those type of things, but we have to play better as an offense, we have to coach better, all the above.”
As it stands, Shedeur Sanders is the primary backup to Gabriel. There are calls for Sanders to see some time under center but the Browns have not been willing to entertain the idea of setting up a timeline for when that could happen.
“I don’t think it’s fair to speculate. We are committed to getting better as an offense. Dillon is committed to improving in any which way he can,” Stefanski said on Monday. “All of our players, young players, are developing and working behind the scenes to make sure they are better on a daily basis.”
Deshaun Watson Unlikely to Play for Browns
Even if Watson does return, the chance of him seeing the field this season seems slim. The Browns have publicly moved on from the former Pro Bowler, with owner Jimmy Haslam calling the 2022 blockbuster trade for Watson a “swing and miss.”
Haslam has emphasized that the Browns’ focus this season is evaluating their young quarterbacks. With two first-round picks in next year’s draft, Cleveland needs to assess its rookie talent now before determining whether to pursue a potential replacement early in the draft.
But Watson, who turned 30 in September, is eager to prove he can still be a viable starting option in the NFL.
“Everyone is doubting me — everyone don’t believe in me,” Watson said in a video on social media this offseason. “Everyone don’t think I can get back to where I was. But I know, and I believe the work that I put in, that I believe in myself… I know, I’m gonna be way better than before.”
Watson’s fully guaranteed contract with Cleveland runs through the 2026 season.
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