The Cleveland Browns are in the midst of an interesting four-man competition for the starting quarterback job, but Deshaun Watson has not been forgotten about.
Watson has been rehabbing and working out at the team facility for the majority of the offseason. He’s even shared photos throwing to wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and David Bell.
Cleveland’s $230 million quarterback is recovering after re-injuring his Achilles in January, which required a second surgery. The Browns expect him to miss most, if not all, of next season. However, Watson has been staying involved and, by most accounts, has been a valued presence in the quarterback room.
The latest example came through a statement from coach Kevin Stefanski, who made sure to mention Watson while discussing his quarterbacks.
“Those guys are doing great,” Stefanski said at the Browns Foundation golf tournament, per Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. “They’re both wired to get in early, stay late, put in whatever work is required. They’re sponges in the meeting room, which I think is really fun for me in my vantage point. I get to sit there and watch the two young guys look over and there’s Joe, 40 years old, won a Super Bowl. There’s Kenny, just going into year four, but first round draft pick that’s been on a couple teams, won a Super Bowl last year.
“There’s Deshaun (Watson), had a ton of success in his career. They can kind of feed off of all those guys. So that’s the thing, it’s fun for me to watch them get better sometimes just by listening.”
Deshaun Watson Ready to Prove Doubters Wrong
This is the second offseason in a row that Watson has spent recovering from an injury. He suffered a fractured shoulder in 2023, which ended his season prematurely. He knows that the majority of people are doubting he’ll take a meaningful snap in the NFL again, especially with the Browns. But he’s using that as motivation.
“Everyone’s doubting me. Everyone don’t believe in me. Everyone don’t think that I can get back to where I was,” Watson said in a recent social media post. “But I know and I believe the work that I put in, what I believe in myself. The peace that I’ve been channeling these last couple months, I know I’m going to be way better than before.”
Watson’s recent involvement marks a sharp departure from how he managed past injuries. Previously, he became an afterthought, spending much of his rehab in Miami and away from the team. This offseason, however, he’s taken a more engaged approach, with Sanders noting that Watson has remained an “active” presence in team meetings.
“Deshaun, of course, he’s active in there,” Sanders said. “He’s in all the meetings. It’s cool talking to him.”
Browns Not Revealing Leader in QB Competition
The Browns are still in the early stages of their quarterback competition, and Stefanski, known for keeping team matters close to the vest, has yet to publicly tip his hand on who has the edge.
Sanders garnered attention outside the facility after a graphic circulated showing he had a strong day during OTAs. However, several insiders have pointed out that the “stats” featured may have been somewhat misleading.
“I know in our day and age, one clip or one day or one practice can be all that gets out there to the public,” Stefanski said. “I would tell you the guys are working extremely hard. They’re doing everything that we’re asking of them and we’re very excited about all of our guys. I know a lot of attention goes to that quarterback room. I get it, that’s the most important position in football. But I’m really proud of all the guys for how hard they’re working really throughout this offseason.”
The Browns will have their second OTA practice open to the media later this week.
