Insider Drops Significant Update on Deshaun Watson’s Comeback

Deshaun Watson’s return this season remains uncertain but the Cleveland Browns are keeping the door open and could be faced with a decision later this fall if he’s healthy enough to contribute.

In January, the Browns announced that Watson will miss significant time next season after re-injuring his Achilles during rehab. He initially suffered the injury during Week 7 of the 2024 season against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Watson will begin the season on the Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, which requires him to miss at least the first four games. From there, Cleveland will have a five-week window to determine whether to open his practice window if he’s cleared medically. Once that window begins, the team has 21 days to activate him to the 53-man roster.

According to cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot, Watson could be ready to resume practice sometime in October.

“One league source said Watson, who was suspended 11 games by the NFL in 2022 after accusations by more than two dozen therapists of sexual misconduct, could be ready to practice sometime in October, but it remains to be seen if the Browns would open the window that soon, roughly nine months post-op,” Cabot said.

Browns Called Watson Trade ‘Swing And Miss’

Cleveland traded for Watson in 2022 and signed him to a fully guaranteed $230 million contract despite the quarterback facing more than two dozen allegations of sexual misconduct. He has struggled to stay on the field since, also missing time in 2023 due to a shoulder fracture that prematurely ended that campaign.

He has appeared in just 19 games over three seasons, throwing for 3,365 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. In 2024, he passed for 1,148 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions in seven starts, failing to surpass 200 yards in any game.

In March, the Browns appeared to have publicly moved on from Watson, with owner Jimmy Haslam calling the move a “swing and miss.”

“We took a big swing-and-miss with Deshaun,” Haslam said at the league’s annual meeting. “We thought we had the quarterback; we didn’t. And we gave up a lot of draft picks to get him, so we’ve got to dig ourselves out of that hole.

The Browns are currently preparing for the 2025 season with an ongoing quarterback competition between Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco, and rookies Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel.

Browns Could Face Battle With Deshaun Watson

Adding some additional complications to Watson’s future with the Browns is the team’s insurance policy in place for his contract. It could create tension if Watson becomes healthy enough to play. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk believes it sets the stage for a potential showdown between Watson and the franchise.

“If he gets a clean bill of health, that’s going to complicate Cleveland’s plan this year. They’d love for him not to play,” Florio said recently. “They have an insurance policy if he’s unable to play because of his twice-torn Achilles tendon. They’d get back a lot of cash, they’d recover a lot of cap space, and they don’t really need him. They’ve got four quarterbacks.

“They don’t want [him to play]. He could eventually file a grievance. Deshaun Watson would be arguing that he’s healthy and the Browns would be arguing he’s not. If Deshaun Watson were to win, the Browns would either have to put him on the roster, trade him, or cut him. It’s that simple.”