Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson has been placed on the PUP list to start the season.
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Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson has been placed on the PUP list to start the season.
The Cleveland Browns made a notable but expected move in their quarterback room on Tuesday, putting Deshaun Watson on the Physically Unable to Perform list (PUP) to start the year.
Watson has been working his way back since suffering an Achilles injury in October. He re-injured his Achilles in January during his recovery and the Browns announced that he’ll miss most — if not all — of the coming season.
The PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) designation does not knock Watson out for the year, but it does guarantee he’ll miss at least the first four games of the season. Players on the reserve/PUP list cannot practice or play during that stretch.
After the four weeks are up, teams have a five-week window to allow a player to begin practicing. Once a player returns to practice, the team has 21 days to decide whether to activate him to the 53-man roster or leave him on PUP for the rest of the season. If he isn’t activated during that window, he must remain on the list until the following year.
Deshaun Watson Likely Done With Browns
Watson has become a forgotten, albeit expensive, part of the Browns’ quarterback room. Cleveland traded for Watson in 2022, giving up a treasure trove of draft picks and signing him to a fully guaranteed $230 million contract that runs through the 2026 season.
He has been showcasing his progress on social media and appears determined to return to the field at some point this season.
“Everyone is doubting me; everyone don’t believe in me,” Watson said in a video posted this summer. “Everyone don’t think I can get back to where I was. But I know, and I believe the work that I put in, that I believe in myself… I know, I’m gonna be way better than before.”
The question becomes if there will be a spot waiting for him with the Browns when he’s cleared to play. Owner Jimmy Halsam called the trade for Watson a “swing and miss” publicly, signaling the franchise has moved on. The Browns will start Joe Flacco in Week 1. The team is expected to evaluate Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders in game action at some point this season.
Deshaun Watson Situation Could Be Messy for Browns
If Watson is healthy enough to play at some point this season, it will complicate the Browns’ quarterback situation.
“At some point, he’ll be healthy. At some point, he’ll be cleared. What happens when he shows up with a piece of paper in hand that tells the world he’s ready to play?” Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk said recently. “The Browns may prefer to stash him on the physically unable to perform list, for all of 2025. They owe him the money whether he’s on the roster or not. They qualify for maximum insurance coverage (and eventually cap relief) if he can’t play.”
Watson has gone 9-10 as the starter in Cleveland, missing time due to a lengthy suspension and season-ending injuries. He’s passed for 3,365 yards, 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions during his Browns tenure.