Deshaun Watson made a rare appearance in the Cleveland Browns locker room leading up to a matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Watson has been out since October 20, when he suffered a season-ending Achilles rupture. He had surgery at the end of October and has not been around the team much since.
However, Watson visited this week, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.
“Watson made a brief appearance in the Browns locker room last week in his boot and on crutches as he rehabs from surgery to repair his ruptured Achilles,” Cabot said. “Watson said he feels good and that his rehab is going well, but declined to talk beyond that.”
Cabot reported that the expectation from Watson is that he’ll be back with the Browns next season — something that has been debated since his latest injury.
“A source said that Watson’s recovery is going great, and that he expects to be back with the Browns next season. If all goes well, he should be able to practice by the start of training camp at the end of July.”
Deshaun Watson Under Contract for 2 More Years With Browns
The Browns don’t have a way out of Watson’s contract due to the fully guaranteed $230 million contract he signed upon his arrival in 2022. He’s under contract for the next two years at $46 million a year but will count $73 million against the cap each year. Cutting Watson would lead to a historic amount of dead cap.
The Browns also sacrificed significant draft capital, including three first-round picks and additional assets, to acquire him in 2022. However, the Browns did not commit to Watson as their starting quarterback moving forward following the Achilles injury.
“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 is 9-10 as the Browns’ starter. He’s passed for 3,365 yards, 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
Jameis Winston Could be Deshaun Watson Replacement for Browns
The Browns may not have to look far to find Watson’s replacement. Jameis Winston has been playing at a high level since taking over as the starter and leads the NFL in passing yards per game (336.0). He entered the matchup against the Steelers fresh off setting the Browns’ franchise single-game record for passing yards in a loss to the Broncos, racking up 497 yards.
The Browns struggled to find offensive rhythm with Watson at the helm this season, failing to score more than 20 points in any game he started. Watson also fell short of reaching 200 passing yards in every outing.
Winston still struggles with turnovers, which was evident against the Broncos. He tossed a pair of costly interceptions returned for touchdowns. However, he’s earning respect around the league for his play.
“If you saw the game (Monday night)last night, man, you saw what they’re capable of with Dorsey as a play caller and Winston as a quarterback,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said of Winston. “There was some explosive play making, they went up and down the field. [Jerry] Jeudy had a big night, and that’s what I meant when I described him as a gunslinger a couple of weeks ago when we played him. He’s got unbelievable arm talent. He was the first pick in the draft, and you’re not the first pick in the draft for no reason, man. He’s got arm strength, he’s got accuracy, he’s got trajectory.”
The Browns could explore the draft for a long-term solution, with the 30-year-old Winston potentially stepping in as a bridge starter. Watson’s role in that scenario remains uncertain.
