Last season, the Cleveland Browns finished 11-6, second in the AFC North only to the Baltimore Ravens. The Browns had to use a variety of QBs in 2023. Six different QBs made an appearance last season for Cleveland. Deshaun Watson started the season at QB but had to deal with multiple injuries.
Watson ended up making six starts for the Browns and was 5-1 in those games. However, he suffered a season-ending injury to his throwing shoulder. The veteran QB has been working hard this offseason in hopes of being ready for Week 1. Head coach Kevin Stefanski announced that Watson has been cleared for full contact but won’t play in their second preseason game. That leaves one more preseason game for Watson to play in before the regular season begins.
Can Deshaun Watson play double-digit games for the first time since 2020?
#Browns Deshaun Watson is not playing, but he’s warming up in uniform before the game with the Packers. pic.twitter.com/VJRDHvhKuv
— Fred Greetham (@FredGreetham9) August 10, 2024
The start of Deshaun Watson’s time in Cleveland has been bumpy, to say the least. Before being signed to the Browns, Watson was a member of the Texans. Watson sat out the entire 2021 season after asking for a trade. Eventually, he was traded to the Browns who immediately gave him a five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed contract. Upon arriving at the Browns in 2022, Watson had to serve an 11-game suspension following allegations of sexual assault and harassment from more than two dozen women. This was for his behavior during massage therapy sessions.
Over the last two seasons, Watson has played in just 12 games for the Browns. The 11-game suspension in 2022 limited him to six starts with the Browns. Additionally, his season-ending shoulder injury ended his 2023 season early. Cleveland is hoping the starting QB can stay healthy in 2024. The last time Watson played double-digit games in his career was in 2020. While the Browns want Watson to start, they’re prepared if he misses time. They have an extremely capable backup QB in Jameis Winston. He started Cleveland’s preseason opener and played one drive. After that, Tyler Huntley played the rest of the first half and Dorian Thompson-Robinson played the entire second half. Cleveland might do the same in their second preseason game with Deshaun Watson not playing.
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