Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said the team still doesn’t have a firm plan for Deshaun Watson as he continues working his way back from a twice-ruptured Achilles tendon.
The uncertainty comes as Cleveland’s quarterback situation grows increasingly messy following Sunday’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens, which dropped the team to 2-8. Starter Dillon Gabriel exited the game with a concussion, forcing Shedeur Sanders into action. Sanders struggled to provide a spark in his half of play, completing just four passes for 47 yards and an interception.
Watson, meanwhile, is still recovering from his injury. He suffered the initial tear last October and a setback in January that required a second surgery. The expectation is that the Browns will open his 21-day practice window soon, but Stefanski did not have any update on when that will happen.
“I don’t have an update there,” Stefanski said.
Stefanski was also asked whether there’s a deadline for the team to decide on Watson returning in any form this season.
“I don’t know the answer to that,” Stefanski said. “I know he’s doing a great job in meetings, supporting the guys.”
Deshaun Watson Likely to Remain With Browns
Watson is under contract through the 2026 season on his fully guaranteed $230 million deal, leaving his future in Cleveland murky. It’s unlikely he’ll factor into the Browns’ plans at quarterback, but moving on isn’t a realistic option. As Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com noted, the record-setting dead-cap hit tied to his contract would all but guarantee he remains on the roster.
“As for whether or not he’ll be on the team next season, it seems a foregone conclusion that he will be. Watson will be in the final year of his contract next season with a cap charge of $80.716 million, and the dead cap charges would be too high if he was traded or released,” Cabot said. “The Browns will reduce that number via another restructure, but the economics dictate he’ll likely be around for the fifth and final year of his fully guaranteed, $230 million contract, which averages $46 million a year.”
Watson’s tenure in Cleveland has been rocky from the start. He’s posted a 9-10 record as the starter with the Browns, passing for 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
Browns Will Start Shedeur Sanders if Dillon Gabriel Can’t Play
Gabriel remains in concussion protocol, and if he isn’t cleared this week, Stefanski confirmed that Sanders will get the Week 12 start against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Sanders had taken no first-team reps before being thrust into action on Sunday, but Stefanski believes the rookie will look more prepared with a full week of work under his belt if he’s called on again against the Raiders.
“I think it’s important that you do what you think is right for a football team. The development of our players is constant. It doesn’t happen just in one drill or in one practice or one meeting,” Stefanski said. “We trust our guys, we trust our backup players to be ready to go. And Shedeur is ready to go. Obviously, I know he wants to play better, I want to coach better, all those types of things. That’ll come through work. That’s where it will come.”
If Gabriel is unable to go, practice squad quarterback Bailey Zappe will likely serve as the backup for Cleveland against Las Vegas.
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