Watson (shoulder) is participating in 11-on-11 drills at Friday's practice, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com reports. Watson is taking 11-on-11 reps for the first time since undergoing offseason shoulder surgery, though he did participate in 7-on-7 activities during spring. Coach Kevin Stefanski said Thursday a decision hasn't yet been made on Watson potentially suiting up for any of Cleveland's three preseason games, but it doesn't appear that the 28-year-old quarterback is dealing with limitations at practice any longer. For the time being, Watson is commanding a thin first-team offense, with Jerry Jeudy (leg) and David Njoku (undisclosed) both limited to work on the side due to seemingly minor injuries, and Nick Chubb (knee) having started camp on the PUP list as he works his way back from a pair of surgeries.
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Watson (shoulder) is participating in 11-on-11 drills at Friday's practice, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com reports. Watson is taking 11-on-11 reps for the first time since undergoing offseason shoulder surgery, though he did participate in 7-on-7 activities during spring. Coach Kevin Stefanski said Thursday a decision hasn't yet been made on Watson potentially suiting up for any of Cleveland's three preseason games, but it doesn't appear that the 28-year-old quarterback is dealing with limitations at practice any longer. For the time being, Watson is commanding a thin first-team offense, with Jerry Jeudy (leg) and David Njoku (undisclosed) both limited to work on the side due to seemingly minor injuries, and Nick Chubb (knee) having started camp on the PUP list as he works his way back from a pair of surgeries.
Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski said Thursday that he was unsure whether Watson (shoulder) would appear in any of the Browns' three preseason games, Patrick Warren of the Browns' official site reports. Watson, who had offseason shoulder surgery, has been throwing in camp, but the coach is being extra cautious at this stage. Stefanski said the coaching staff will discuss the quarterback's progress and make any playing decisions at the appropriate time.
Watson (shoulder) said Wednesday he's progressed to throwing daily, including with teammate Amari Cooper, as part of his rehab process, Nick Shook of NFL.com reports. Watson declined to state whether he's yet been fully cleared for training camp, but it's encouraging to hear that his rehab has continued to ramp up without setbacks. He missed all but six games in 2023 due to surgery undergone last November to repair a displaced glenoid fracture in his right shoulder, and took reps in 7-on-7 drills during OTAs. The outlook of Cleveland's passing attack for 2024 depends not only on Watson's health, but also the presence of Cooper, who is negotiating for a new contract. Cooper skipped mandatory minicamp in June, and at this point his full attendance at camp isn't a total guarantee, so it's positive that he and Watson are already working on developing a rapport.
Watson (shoulder) is throwing passes in 7-on-7 drills Tuesday, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports. It's the first time Watson has thrown passes in 7-on-7s during the offseason, making this a tangible step forward on the first day of June minicamp. He seems to be on track for 11-on-11s at the start of training camp in late July, although it's not a guarantee given that the Browns seem inclined toward caution. Watson had surgery last November to repair a displaced glenoid fracture in his right shoulder -- an uncommon injury without any known precedent among NFL quarterbacks. He seems to be progressing as the Browns had hoped, with Petrak noting that Watson's throwing velocity looked good during Tuesday's practice.
Coach Kevin Stefanski noted Wednesday that Watson is throwing every other day as the QB continues his rehab from a season-ending shoulder injury, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN reports. Per Oyefusi, Watson threw passes during Tuesday's session, but didn't do so Wednesday, though he did participate in individual and team drills. In regard to how Watson has looked during the Browns' current OTAs, Stefanski noted that "he looked like himself to me. I've been able to watch him the last couple of weeks now that we've gotten into phase 2. So, I've seen him throw. He's making great progress. We will just continue to follow the medical team on this but he looks like himself." Watson is bouncing back from surgery last November to repair a displaced fracture to the glenoid in his throwing shoulder, so the Browns are proceeding deliberately with their top signal-caller in anticipation of him being ready for Week 1. With Watson not throwing Wednesday, Jameis Winston and Tyler Huntley took the bulk of the reps in team drills.
Browns general manager Andrew Berry said Thursday that Watson (shoulder) has been making throws of up to 40 yards, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. While not quite willing to guarantee that Watson will be ready for the regular-season opener, Berry did confirm that's the expectation and said the Browns are "pretty optimistic" about the QB's rehab process so far. Watson spoke with reporters Tuesday, mentioning that the team medical staff favors a cautious approach that would see him wait until training camp before returning to full practice participation. The 28-year-old thus figures to be limited during OTAs, giving free-agent additions Jameis Winston and Tyler Huntley more chances to throw to the team's top receivers. The Browns traded for WR Jerry Jeudy in March and still have WRs Amari Cooper and Elijah Moore as well as TE David Njoku. There's also a strong chance of improved blocking this season, after 2023 saw the Browns lose their top three OTs to season-ending knee injuries. Watson is the biggest variable though, perhaps more so because of his disappointing 2022-23 performance than the ongoing rehab from Nov. 21 surgery to repair a displaced glenoid fracture in his right shoulder.
Watson (shoulder) said Tuesday he's already resumed "throwing full speed" but that he's uncertain how large a workload he'll handle during OTAs and minicamp, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. Watson clarified that certain members of the Browns' medical staff are in favor of a more conservative approach to the quarterback's recovery from right shoulder surgery, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram, which would wait until training camp to have him fully practice. Still, Watson has been fully forthright in his confidence to be available for the Browns' season opener, and there appear to be no real worries about his Week 1 status. In case Watson misses part of the offseason, or struggles during the fall, Cleveland can lean on newly-signed, experienced backups Jameis Winston and Tyler Huntley.
Watson, who is bouncing back from shoulder surgery he underwent Nov. 21, noted Thursday he has no doubt that he'll be ready for the Browns' season opener, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. Per Cabot, Watson resumed throwing as of March 19, with the quarterback acknowledging that his recovery process is "day to day" and that he plans to "to take it one step at a time." In the coming months, part of that process will involve load management, with Watson expressing confidence that he'll be ready and in top form in advance of Week 1. That said, Watson figures to be eased back into the mix once the Browns resume on-field activities, a scenario that should result in newcomers Jameis Winston and Tyler Huntley seeing added signal-caller reps until Watson is deemed ready to practice without limitations.
Watson (shoulder) recently said on his QB Unplugged podcast that he's "in a great spot" and has "plenty of time to ramp up the throwing sessions," per Nick Shook of NFL.com. Watson is believed to have resumed throwing in mid-to-late March, after undergoing surgery Nov. 21 to repair a displaced glenoid fracture in his right shoulder. He'll presumably be absent/limited throughout OTAs and minicamp but may be ready for full participation (or close to it) when the Browns open training camp in late July. While a fully guaranteed contract ensures Watson will get another shot as the starter despite his disappointing performance in 2022 and 2023, the Browns prioritized QB depth this offseason in signing experienced backups Jameis Winston and Tyler Huntley. They also upgraded their receiver group, trading for Jerry Jeudy and then signing him to a three-year extension.