Browns GM: 'Nothing nefarious' about Watson's 2nd Achilles tear
Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry shut down the idea that Deshaun Watson was doing something wrong when he re-tore his Achilles.
"Unfortunately, he turned his foot (or) ankle. That caused the re-tear during the normal stages of the recovery process," Berry said at the NFL Combine, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.
"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."
There was talk about how the Browns might try and get back some or all of the $92 million in guaranteed money remaining on Watson's contract if the injury occurred while he was doing something nefarious.
Watson first tore his Achilles in October and had surgery to repair the ailment days later. He underwent a second procedure after re-tearing the Achilles in January.
The 29-year-old was initially preparing to compete for the starting job in 2025 before suffering the setback. Berry is now unable to provide a timetable for when Watson can return.
"How far that spans into 2025, I can't give you a specific right now," Berry said. "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."
Watson has struggled as the Browns' starting quarterback since he was acquired for three first-round picks plus other draft compensation in 2022. The Clemson product is 9-10 in 19 starts with Cleveland while throwing for 3,365 yards with 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
Watson ranks 32nd in EPA/play and success rate among 33 signal-callers who have taken at least 750 snaps since 2022, according to Ben Baldwin's database.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Watson are the only quarterbacks that the Browns have under contract next season.
Cleveland owns the No. 2 pick in April's draft after finishing 3-14 in 2024.