CLEVELAND, Ohio — Deshaun Watson is out of his walking boot and throwing passes to David Bell and Jerry Jeudy. For a quarterback who suffered a second Achilles repair in January, this represents remarkable progress — but does it mean anything for his future with the Cleveland Browns?
Despite owner Jimmy Haslam’s “big swing and a miss” comments at the NFL owners meetings, Browns insiders are noticeably cautious about declaring Watson’s Cleveland career finished.
“One of the things that I do know is that Deshaun Watson is not only determined to come back and play football again in the NFL, but he’s determined to come back this very season,” Mary Kay Cabot revealed on the Orange and Brown Talk podcast. “And that is what he is aiming for and gunning for.”
Watson’s recovery timeline seems improbable for a 2024 return — he’s only five months removed from surgery on his re-ruptured Achilles. Yet notably, neither general manager Andrew Berry nor head coach Kevin Stefanski has definitively ruled out Watson playing for the Browns again.
“We know that Andrew Berry has called him in the past a fast healer,” Cabot explained. “I mean, some of the rhetoric coming from the Cleveland Browns has been weirdly positive about the outlook for Deshaun Watson playing again.”
This careful language from Browns leadership has raised eyebrows, especially considering the team has committed significant resources to four other quarterbacks this offseason.
“Every single time that we’ve asked Andrew Berry about him and we have given Andrew a chance to basically say we’ve moved on for good, those words don’t get said,” Cabot pointed out.
Berry’s reluctance might stem partly from the unpredictable nature of NFL quarterback situations. Dan Labbe, while placing Watson’s chances of playing for Cleveland in 2024 at extremely slim, reminded listeners of the chaos that can unfold at the position.
“I always look back at the 2016 Browns when they drafted Cody Kessler... they really wanted a red shirt year for Cody. And then RG3 gets hurt in Week One and Josh McCown gets hurt in Week Two and all of a sudden Cody Kessler’s starting Week Three,” Labbe recalled. “I’ve just learned to never say never.”
While most observers expect Watson’s Cleveland tenure to end without him taking another snap, the team has multiple options regarding his roster status. He could begin the season on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, requiring him to miss at least four games, or potentially return from Injured Reserve if he’s one of the limited number of players designated to return.
The financial reality also can’t be ignored — Watson carries an enormous cap hit regardless of whether he plays. As Cabot noted, “If there is any thought whatsoever to trying to salvage anything from this and have him be willing to waive his no-trade clause... there might come a time where it would make sense to show people what he can do.”
While the Browns’ quarterback room appears settled with Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel, Joe Flacco and Shedeur Sanders competing for roles, the Watson situation lurks in the background — an expensive, complicated question without a definitive answer.
For a franchise that has endured decades of quarterback turmoil, perhaps the most fitting approach is indeed “never say never.”
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