Former Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson is hoping to make his return to the field as soon as possible. However, it does not sound as though his plans align with those of his current team, the Cleveland Browns.
Watson is in his fourth season with the Browns.
After initially tearing his Achilles tendon in Week 7 against the Cincinnati Bengals last season, Watson re-tore it in January. He is still on the Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list.
Ex-Texans QB Deshaun Watson Gets Attention-Grabbing Update
Getty ImagesDeshaun Watson #4 of the Cleveland Browns looks on during a game against the Carolina Panthers.
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski fielded a question about whether or not they would open Watson’s 21-day practice window this week, and his answer drew plenty of attention.
“Yeah, I’m not sure if that’s what we’re doing,” Stefanski told reporters on November 10.
Watson, 30, has appeared in 19 games for the Browns since they acquired him in a trade with the Texans during the 2022 offseason. He has thrown for 3,365 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions on 61.2% completion in that span.
Watson is 9-10 as the Browns’ starter. In his absence, the Browns are relying on rookie third-round draft pick Dillon Gabriel and fifth-rounder Shedeur Sanders.
Despite the lack of experience at QB, the Browns have been reluctant to address Watson.
Deshaun Watson in Holding Pattern With Browns
Getty ImagesDeshaun Watson #4 of the Cleveland Browns looks on against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot offered insight into Watson’s current predicament, as the Browns have the ex-Texans star in a state of limbo.
Watson is “still awaiting medical clearance.”
“The Browns hope to have a better sense of his timetable in the next week or two,” Cabot wrote on November 9. Once he’s medically cleared, the Browns will have the option of opening his 21-day practice window. During that three-week span, they can activate him to the 53-man roster if they want to see him play. If not, he’ll remain on reserve/Physically Unable to Perform for the remainder of the season.”
The Browns may be resigned to their fate this season, willing to see what they have in Gabriel and Sanders over Watson, while they position themselves to select one of the top quarterbacks in the 2026 draft.
However, they have an additional incentive to keep Watson sidelined, even if they do activate him from the PUP list.
Browns Have Reason to Keep Deshaun Watson Sidelined
Getty ImagesDeshaun Watson #4 of the Cleveland Browns looks on during mandatory minicamp.
Watson has maintained a consistent presence via workout videos during his rehab, putting a positive spin on the former Texans first-round draft pick’s health at a critical point. Unfortunately for Watson, the Browns have financial reasons to keep him off the field.
He is signed through 2026 on a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract. However, the Browns could get some of what they owe knocked off since Watson has not played.
Spotrac’s Michael Ginnitti pondered if 2026 would “be the end of this long miserable journey.”
“The contract holds a fully guaranteed $46M for next season,” Ginnitti wrote on November 3. “It also holds $131.1M of total dead cap due in large part to 3 significant cap conversions in recent years. Will these numbers be lowered by insurance cap reductions for time missed this season? Yes, but just how much remains to be seen.”
According to Ginnitti, the Browns would incur dead cap hits of $80.7 million ($46 million in cash) in 2026 and $50.4 million in 2027. Watson wants to play, but the ex-Texans QB could need an extraordinary sequence of events to unfold for that to happen this season with the Browns.
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