Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson was already facing a long recovery after suffering a torn Achilles in October, and his road back got even longer when he re-aggravated the injury just a few months later.
The Browns are now unsure how long he could take to recover, hinting that he could miss all of the upcoming year.
Speaking to reporters at the NFL combine this week, Browns general manager Andrew Berry gave new details on how Watson suffered the new injury. Berry pushed aside speculation that Watson was going outside his training or taking unnecessary risks when he re-tore the Achilles.
“Yeah, so obviously Deshaun, he reinjured his Achilles. Unfortunately, he turned his foot [or] ankle that caused the re-tear during the normal stages of the recovery process,” Berry said, via Pro Football Talk. “I know there’s been a lot of speculation and everything out there, but there’s nothing nefarious. It’s just an unfortunate accident.
“So, our focus is on making sure that he gets healthy and can be back to normal.”
Oct 20, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) lies on the ground after being injured during the first half against the Cincinnati Bengals at Huntington Bank Field.
© Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
There had been speculation that Watson would miss all of the upcoming season, and Berry would not commit to any specific timeline.
“He will miss significant time,” Berry said. “How far that spans into 2025? I can’t give you a specific [answer] right now. He’s shown to be a fast healer and we’re going to try and be as thoughtful and aggressive with the recovery process, but that’s not something that I could predict at currently.”
The team's focus on getting Watson back to full health could bring more bad news for the quarterback, Bryan DeArdo of CBS Sports speculated. DeArdo said the remarks seem to hint that even if Watson can make it back onto the field in 2025, the "Browns may decide to stick with whoever is their starting quarterback at that point in the season."
