With five games remaining in the regular season, the Browns decided to open the 21-day practice window for quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Watson’s been out since Week 7 of the 2024 season as he ruptured his Achilles and underwent season-ending surgery. He underwent a second Achilles surgery in January, seemingly putting him out for the entire 2025 season. But Cleveland fans may actually see some action from their quarterback before the season ends.
Cleveland must activate him by Dec. 24, otherwise Watson will remain on the reserve list for the remainder of the season.
It didn’t seem like a possibility that Watson would return to the football field in 2025, especially since Browns coach Kevin Stefanski has remained mum about the quarterback’s status this season. The Browns have had other quarterback issues to worry about as they’ve gone through three starters this year alone.
The 2025 season started out with Joe Flacco being QB1, but he was eventually benched and then traded to the Bengals, where he was also just benched as Joe Burrow returned from injury. The Browns then turned to rookie Dillon Gabriel, but he now sits in concussion protocol. The team has started Shedeur Sanders in the previous two games with plans to start him this weekend vs. the Titans, too. Could Watson be added to this mix before the season ends?
Watson’s remained with the team throughout the season, and he’s been helping rookies Gabriel and Sanders as they begin their NFL careers. Watson traveled with the Browns for the first time this season when Sanders made his first NFL start vs. the Raiders a couple weeks ago.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Browns Open 21-Day Practice Window for QB Deshaun Watson.
