Ahead of their preseason finale against the Seattle Seahawks, the Cleveland Browns have ruled out starting quarterback Deshaun Watson. He has not played since having shoulder surgery last November but is on track to return for the Week 1 opener against the Dallas Cowboys.
ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter posted the news on social media.
Browns ruled out QB Deshaun Watson for tonight’s preseason finale vs the Seahawks.
Watson, who has not played since undergoing shoulder surgery in November, is next slated to play the Browns’ regular-season opener against the Dallas Cowboys. pic.twitter.com/s4FJITlEUB
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 24, 2024
Watson was supposed to make his preseason debut against Seattle, but it seems like the plans have changed.
The veteran quarterback missed some time this week in practice due to arm soreness, but this move is more about shifting his focus to the regular season. Cleveland wants to make sure that their signal-caller is fully ready to go for the real games.
He participated fully in practice on Thursday, and head coach Kevin Stefanski said he wasn’t concerned about his quarterback. Watson has dealt with some injury issues over the last few seasons, so Cleveland is being cautious with him.
For the Browns to do anything significant this season, they will need Watson to be on his A-game. When the team traded for him, they were expecting the All-Pro caliber player he was while with the Houston Texans.
Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images
However, the partnership between Watson and the Browns has been a mixed bag. He has only played in 12 games with Cleveland over the last two seasons, putting up some shaky performances.
Last season, he was limited to only six games. In that time, he threw for 1,115 yards with seven touchdowns and five interceptions.
Cleveland somehow made the postseason despite Watson and other key players’ injuries. The Browns had a record of 11-5 but lost to the Houston Texans in the wild-card round.
Watson will enter the season looking to bounce back from another poor year. He expressed optimism about his game earlier in the offseason, saying that everything he has been through has helped him grow.
“It’s been a blessing. Being able to sit back, recollect everything that’s been going on,” Watson said, via the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram’s Scott Petrak. “To be able to start from scratch, build that foundation. I don’t get frustrated or anything like that. There’s other things in life that can frustrate you. This is a blessing to continue to play the game of football and have the people that want you to succeed. For me to even be back throwing the football is my top point that I’ve been locked in with.”
If he can return to be a quality starter for the Browns, the sky is truly the limit for this team, even in the loaded AFC.
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