Heavy on Browns The Browns said there's a "change" Deshaun Watson could play again for the franchise.
The Cleveland Browns may not be done with Deshaun Watson after his season-ending Achilles injury but it doesn’t look good for the former Pro Bowler.
Watson suffered a season-ending Achilles rupture in Week 7 against the Cincinnati Bengals. It’s his second consecutive season-ending injury. Watson suffered a fractured shoulder last year that limited him to six games and he’s played in just 19 games since 2020.
“Our focus with Deshaun I would say for any player with a season-ending injury and a major injury is first and foremost with the recovery and to make sure that he gets healthy from the Achilles injury,” Browns general manager Andrew Berry said on Wednesday, November 6. “Everything else we’ll deal with at a later moment.”
Watson getting healthy is one thing but his future as an NFL starter is another. The Browns are linked to Watson through the 2026 season on a fully guaranteed deal. There’s no way out for the Browns, who would incur record-setting cap penalties if they part ways with him.
With that in mind, Berry was asked about the possibility of Watson starting again for the Browns.
“Yeah, I think that’s always possible,” Berry said.
It’s not exactly a ringing endorsement of Watson, who posted a 1-6 record as the starter this season and provided some of the worst quarterback play in the league. Watson’s defenders would point to sack and pressure numbers, as well as lack of support from his pass-catchers. But most would agree he’s not the quarterback he was with the Houston Texans when he was putting up Pro Bowl-caliber numbers.
Browns Not in ‘Reflection Mode’ on Deshaun Watson
The Browns do not have a plan to replace Watson and must also work around his cap numbers. Berry was not ready to evaluate Watson’s play before his injury.
“I’m really not in reflection mode,” Berry said. “Our focus is really on finishing out the 2024 season, having the team play at a higher level, and then kind of we’ll get to those maybe longer term or big picture reflections at a later point in time.”
The trade to bring Watson to the Browns has been dubbed one of the worst in NFL history. It cost the Browns three first-round picks and his contract has only amplified the criticism. Berry said the organization was in alignment on making the move.
“Like we’ve always said, all of us were on board,” Berry said. “Everyone’s on board and obviously with a big commitment in that regard, that’s always going to be the case.”
Browns Understand Fan Frustration Around Deshaun Watson
Watson’s injury became a polarizing situation in Cleveland, with some cheering as he was carted off the field at Huntington Bank Field. Jameis Winston entered as the starter the following week, passing for 300-plus yards and three touchdowns. He didn’t perform as well against the Los Angeles Chargers in a Week 9 loss but it still appears clear that Watson is not a viable option moving forward.
Berry understands the frustration from fans but vowed to put a better product on the field moving forward.
“When you’re 2-7 entering the bye, you understand the fans frustration. And we have not played consistently on offense and it’s shared ownership,” Berry said. “It really is shared ownership. We’re capable of playing better, we should play better. And like I said, we’re going to make the adjustments necessary to improve our performance throughout the next eight games and then obviously make the adjustments to make sure we’re not feeling this way the first nine games of the year moving forward.”
The Browns will face the New Orleans Saints on November 17 when they emerge from the bye week.
J.R. DeGroote covers the Cleveland Browns and Los Angeles Lakers for Heavy.com. He graduated from Arizona State and has decades of experience in digital media with previous stops at SBNation and Bleacher Report. He has won multiple state, regional and national honors for sports reporting and photography. More about J.R. DeGroote
