Deshaun Watson is back practicing with the Cleveland Browns but there is no timeline to see him back on the field in a game situation.
Watson has been sidelined for more than a year while recovering from a twice-ruptured Achilles tendon. The return to practice had been rumored for weeks since the bye but the Browns made it official on Wednesday.
“He’ll be out there today, which is outstanding for Deshaun. He’s has been working so hard, rehabbing, so finally to get out there on the practice field with his teammates to go through individual, I think this is really great for him, so excited for him,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said. “His focus, my focus is obviously getting him back to playing football, practicing football, which he hasn’t done in over a year. So, it’s a good next step for him.”
The Browns now have 21 days to decide whether or not Watson will be activated to the 53-man roster. In the first clips from Watson’s debut practice, he looked to be moving solidly, although playing with the threat of contact after back-to-back Achilles surgeries — the latest coming in January — is a different story.
The Browns are not focused on Watson seeing the field any time soon.
“Yeah, not my focus,” Stefanski said. “Really just excited for him to be able to get back out there on the field. I think for any player, when you’re rehabbing, the next step, getting out there on the practice field is a big step. So, I’m excited for him.”
Browns Called Deshaun Watson Trade ‘Swing and Miss’
Watson’s return is a big step in his recovery. But it’s unlikely to impact the Browns quarterback situation this year. Cleveland is focusing on evaluating rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, who is expected to start the final five games of the season.
The Browns have also signaled that they’re ready to move on from Watson, distancing themselves from the 2022 blockbuster trade that cost them a haul of draft picks. Cleveland also committed $230 million in fully guaranteed money to Watson, a deal that runs through 2026.
“We took a big swing-and-miss with Deshaun,” Browns owner Jimmy Haslam said in the offseason. “We thought we had the quarterback; we didn’t. And we gave up a lot of draft picks to get him, so we’ve got to dig ourselves out of that hole.
“… [The trade] was an entire organization decision and it ends with Dee [Haslam] and I, so hold us accountable.”
Deshaun Watson Serving as Mentor With Browns
Despite being sidelined, Watson has been making his impact felt. He’s been present in the meeting room and on the sideline during a handful of games.
“Shedeur’s been outstanding in the meeting room with Deshaun; Deshaun’s been outstanding with all those guys. So, it’s really an impressive group that helps each other,” Stefanski said. “So, I think having Deshaun out there will be great for Shedeur, I think it’s great for Dillon. Bailey obviously is a guy that provides great value to us. So, just having all those guys on the field, I think, is beneficial.”
Sanders did not go into detail on his relationship with Watson and what they have talked about in the meeting room.
“What we do in there, we gonna keep it in there for sure,” Sanders said.
The Browns face the Tennessee Titans on Sunday in a game that will impact the top of the draft.
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