Deshaun Watson’s status going forward remains uncertain and the Cleveland Browns quarterback failed to provide any insight on his latest setback after exiting the game against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.
Watson took a hard hit in the first quarter against the Colts and he was evaluated for a concussion. He was cleared but Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski did not feel comfortable re-inserting his $230 million franchise quarterback into the game.
“As you guys know, my job is to make tough decisions,” Stefanski said on Sunday, October 22. “I did not want to see him get hit. He was hit hard and I know he cleared all that, but I just thought, ‘I’ve got to protect him.'”
Watson is dealing with a rotator cuff strain. He missed games against the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers and also spent the bye week in between those games recovering. Against the Colts, Watson was just 1-of-5 for 5 yards with an interception before exiting.
The Browns QB said a concussion was the least of his worries. He was more concerned about his banged-up throwing shoulder, which he has been dealing with for the last month.
“The head thing caught me off-guard,” Watson said. “I didn’t know I was getting pulled off for the concussion until I got in the tent. I wasn’t even worried about the head. It was mostly the shoulder.”
The Browns have not provided an injury update on Watson and he’s hoping for the best after further testing.
“I’m praying that it wasn’t anything worse, so that’s all I can do right now,” Watson said. “Just continue to send prayers up and see what happens [Monday].”
Browns Don’t Rule Out IR for Deshaun Watson
The Browns have not made a decision on Watson’s status for this week’s game against the Seattle Seahawks. Stefanski did not rule out that Watson could spend some time on injured reserve, which would mean a minimum of four missed games.
“I think day-to-day. Always gathering information, but he’s – listen, he’s getting better,” Stefanski said on Monday when asked about the prospect of Watson going on IR. “He’s a competitive kid. He’s working hard.”
Stefanski said previously that Watson was fighting to get back into the game against the Colts but he would not allow it.
“Of course I want to compete; I’m a competitor,” Watson said. “I want to go out there and try to help the team as much as possible. But the decision was best for the team and they felt that was the best and P.J. [Walker] did a great job of finishing the game and everyone else played heck of a job to get the win.”
Deshaun Watson Still Leader for Browns
Watson is facing a bit of heat for how the injury situation has played out. But despite how it’s looked publicly at times, Stefanski assured that Watson is still functioning as a leader for the Browns.
“Deshaun’s a captain of this football team. He’s a leader of this football team,” Stefanski said. “It’s hard. I know he wants to be out there, but he continues to support his teammates. He leads this football team. So that will never change.”
Watson was suspended for 11 games last season and has now missed a chunk of this year due to injury. For the Browns, it’s a tough pill to swallow considering what they’re paying Watson and the treasure trove of picks the team had to give up to land him in a trade last off season.
But if Watson missing time now means he can be healthy in the long run, it’s a logical decision for the Browns — a team that has playoff and Super Bowl aspirations.
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Browns QB Deshaun Watson Breaks Silence on Injury as IR Decision Looms