Former Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson has been documenting his rehabilitation from a re-torn Achilles tendon in hopes of returning to the field this season, and it could still happen with the Cleveland Browns.
That is not totally surprising. Watson is on the Browns’ roster, and they have a history of cycling through quarterbacks, including this season, when they went from Joe Flacco to Dillon Gabriel.
Still, Watson’s future on the field seemed to lie anywhere but in Cleveland entering the year.
Historic Bengals-Browns Trade Bodes Well for Deshaun Watson
GettyDeshaun Watson #4 of the Cleveland Browns looks on against the Los Angeles Rams.
While the Texans are on their bye in Week 6, Watson’s Browns completed a historic trade, sending Flacco to the Cincinnati Bengals. It marked the first trade between the two franchises in their history, but also created a potential opportunity for Watson.
“Trade of Flacco could open door to Deshaun Watson playing again,” The Land On Demand’s Tony Grossi posted on X on October 7. “The Browns QB carousel never runs out of gas.”
Moreover, Grossi is not alone in his belief that the trade bodes well for Watson.
“Joe Flacco getting moved means one thing to me: The Browns believe Deshaun Watson will be ready to go pretty soon,” “Honor The Land” host Max Loeb posted on X on October 7, quoting the initial report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Watson has one more season on his fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract, so the Browns’ best option could prove to be letting Watson play.
Browns QB Room Crowded, Inexperienced
GettyDeshaun Watson #4 of the Cleveland Browns looks on before a game against the Carolina Panthers.
The Texans got off the QB carousel shortly after trading Watson, drafting C.J. Stroud No. 2 overall in 2023.
If Gabriel is not the answer, Watson could get his chance.
Injuries and poor performance have mired Watson’s Browns tenure, though. Watson has appeared in 19 games since the start of the 2022 regular season. He completed 61.2% of his passes for 3,365 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions for the Browns during that span.
Still, the Browns’ current quarterback room lacks experience. Gabriel is a rookie third-round pick, albeit one who is 1-0 as a starter.
Top backup, Shedeur Sanders, is a fifth-round selection in the same class.
Deshaun Watson Could Be Browns Best Option
Asked who could start more games, Watson or Sanders, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer said he did not know, but added that he would now rule out the former Texans star in a “weird quarterback situation.”
“I know there was a thought that Deshaun was going to get cleared at one point, like it was going to be late October, early November. I don’t know if that’s still the rough timeline that they’re working on. Again, I haven’t checked in on that in a while,” Breer said on 92.3 The Fan on October 7.
“If Deshaun gets back into the practice setting, I think there’s a pretty decent chance that it starts to show up in practice [that] he looks like he might be the best option.”
“We’ll see what happens,” Breer said
The Browns also have 2022 fourth-rounder (New England Patriots) Bailey Zappe on their practice squad. At any rate, and despite a clearer path to the field in Cleveland, the former Texans star, Watson, still has several hurdles to clear before that speculation becomes reality.
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