Browns' Watson returning to practice for 1st time since 2024 Achilles tear
BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Deshaun Watson will practice for the first time this year with the Cleveland Browns on Wednesday, opening the 21-day window for the quarterback to return to the lineup.
His practice time will not count against the 53-player active roster. Watson is eligible to be activated during the three-week window.
Coach Kevin Stefanski said Watson would be doing individual drills at first before possibly ramping up to working with the scout team.
“He’s been working so hard, rehabbing. So finally to get out there on the practice field with his teammates, go through individual, I think is really great for him," Stefanski said. “Our focus is activating this practice window, seeing him on the practice field, getting him into individual, those type of things. He’s done everything that’s asked of him. He’s been so supportive in the meeting room on the game field with the players. Now he gets to go do that on the practice field."
The nine-year veteran has been on the physically unable to perform list since the start of the season. He ruptured his right Achilles tendon twice in a three-month period — first during the first half of a Oct. 20, 2024, loss to the Cincinnati Bengals and then in January.
Watson has been rehabbing at the Browns’ facility and has been involved in meetings in the quarterbacks room. He has also posted videos on social media of working out on the indoor field at the Browns’ facility.
He has been on the Browns sideline during home games and made the trip with the team to Las Vegas two weeks ago to help mentor rookie Shedeur Sanders during his first NFL start.
Sanders will make his third start on Sunday when the Browns (3-9) host Tennessee (1-11). Joe Flacco started Cleveland's first four games before being traded to Cincinnati on Oct. 7 and rookie Dillon Gabriel has started six.
The Browns also have four-year veteran Bailey Zappe on the practice squad.
“Shedeur’s been outstanding in the meeting room with Deshaun. Deshaun’s been outstanding with all those guys, so it’s really an impressive group that helps each other. So I think having Deshaun out there will be great for Shedeur,” Stefanski said. “I think it’s great for Dillon, Bailey obviously is a guy that provides great value to us. So just having all those guys on the field I think is beneficial.”
Watson is 9-10 as Cleveland’s starter with 19 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and a 80.7 passer rating. He is also unpopular among fans after the Browns sent five draft picks to the Texans, including three first-round selections, and signed him to a fully guaranteed $230 million contract widely regarded as one of the worst in NFL history.
Browns co-owner Jimmy Haslam admitted that the franchise “took a big swing and miss” with the trade during the league meetings in March and that "we’ve got to dig ourselves out of that hole.”
The Browns have reworked his contract twice in three months during the offseason to gain some financial flexibility.
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