As the Browns continue to shuffle quarterbacks, what of Deshaun Watson? Not much, apparently, according to HC Kevin Stefanski. Cleveland’s former “franchise” quarterback remains on the PUP list but will soon be eligible to practice. Having recently switched from veteran Joe Flacco to rookie Dillon Gabriel and not even knowing who will back him up, reporters attempted to address the elephant in the room Wednesday.
Asked if he foresaw Watson playing for the Browns in 2025, Stefanski answered, “Yeah, I understand the question, but I’m so focused on this week”, via the team’s website. Asked about social media posts by Watson showing he is healthy, he said, “I’m not so concerned about what our guys are posting on social media”.
Stefanski did say that Watson is “doing an excellent job with his rehab”. He also confirmed that rehab work is taking place with the Browns and called Watson a good teammate. Addressing the leadership void after Flacco’s trade, he voluntarily brought up Watson as an influence.
“He’s been a great teammate from the jump”, Stefanski said. “It’s a young room, but I believe in those guys, that they’re all working very hard. Obviously, Bailey [Zappe]’s the elder statesman right now, but Deshaun’s in there, can provide great insight to the young guys”.
Players on the PUP list must remain there for at least the first six weeks of the season. In other words, Deshaun Watson, in theory, could practice next week. Currently, the Browns only have two quarterbacks on their 53-man roster, as Zappe is on their practice squad. They also only have a 52-man roster after the Flacco trade. They could call up Zappe, but there would be a spot available for Watson should they want him on the roster this year.
The question, of course, is whether they want to or not. Considering Browns owner Jimmy Haslam has called trading for him a swing and a miss, perhaps not. And it’s reasonable to assume that they are in no rush to end the rookie experiment.
Still, Cleveland once saw Deshaun Watson as a franchise quarterback. One could make an argument that he is better than any of their current quarterbacks—though one could also make the opposite argument. In theory, he has the talent to be good again, but it seems like asking a lot at this point.
A little over a month ago, reports indicated that Watson was making great progress in his rehab and could be ready to play in October. It’s now October, and he is soon eligible to practice. Even the reporter admitted she didn’t know whether they intend to activate him or not. Yet she also noted that the Browns are pleased with his progress.
