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Deshaun Watson had a message for Cleveland Browns fans after watching his squad beat the San Francisco 49ers 19-17 on Sunday, hinting that his return to the field is imminent.
Watson was on the sideline for the matchup and celebrated with the team after the hard-fought victory over the previously unbeaten 49ers. A fan posted a video of Watson celebrating after the win and the QB replied with a simple message.
“See you soon,” Watson tweeted.
The message from Watson drew quite a reaction, including from Browns cornerback Greg Newsome, who responded with eyeball emojis.
It’s not a firm statement that he’ll be back on the field next week — especially considering what the last few weeks have been like — but it’s a good sign. Adam Schefter of ESPN previously reported that the hope is that Watson will be able to suit up for a Week 7 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts. However, the team will not rush him back if he feels like he’s not 100 percent. Watson is dealing with a deep rotator cuff contusion that has kept him out of the last two games.
“Although a Week 7 return is both realistic and possible, the Browns want to make sure that Watson’s injury does not develop into a problem that lingers throughout the season and don’t want the three-time Pro Bowler to play again until he can throw without pain, which he has been unable to do since he suffered the injury in Week 3 against the Titans,” Schefter reported on October 14.
Browns Don’t Provide Update on Deshaun Watson’s Health
The Browns have not provided much detail on Watson’s injury and head coach Kevin Stefanski did not have an update on Sunday after the win.
“I don’t have an update. As you know, we’re taking that one day-to-day, being smart,” Stefanski said. “He’s doing a great job. He’s an awesome teammate today, supporting his guys. He was awesome all week with P.J. (Walker), making sure he was in tune with the game plan. He was another voice in there all week, so we’ll see how it goes. Obviously, he’s fighting like crazy to get back out there, but we’ll be smart about it.”
It’s been an interesting saga with Watson. He was expected to face the Baltimore Ravens on October 1 but was a late scratch after testing his shoulder pregame. The Browns were optimistic that he’d be able to return after the bye week to face the 49ers but it became evident their $230 million quarterback would not be ready to go.
PJ Walker Does Just Enough to Help Browns Win
With Watson out, the Browns turned to practice squad quarterback PJ Walker. Walker jumped rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson on the depth chart to earn the starting nod.
Walker wasn’t outstanding but did enough with the Browns’ defense hitting on all cylinders. Walker finished the game 18-of-34 for 192 yards and tossed a pair of interceptions. He nearly tossed another one late with the Browns in range to kick a field goal to take the lead but it ended up falling harmlessly to the ground.
“I felt proud of him. He battled. He’s going to tell you he wishes he had a couple of plays back like all quarterbacks do,” Stefanski said. “That’s kind of what we talk about. We’re striving for perfection, but it’s hard to attain it. But he made some throws, he made some plays, he ran the show. So that’s what he does. He’s a battler. He’s a tough kid.”
It’ll be interesting to see what the Browns do with Walker going forward. He’s been elevated twice from the practice squad and the Browns can only do that one more time. If he’s going to assume the backup role going forward, Cleveland may carry three quarterbacks on their active roster.
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