Browns QB Deshaun Watson Gets Bad News Ahead of Bears Game

The Cleveland Browns may decide to activate Deshaun Watson this season but it’s unlikely he’ll see the field unless some significant injuries take place.

The Browns have until Dec. 23 to activate Watson, who is coming back from a twice-ruptured Achilles. He’s been out of football for more than a year but started practicing with the team at the beginning of the month.

If the Browns do not activate Watson within the 21-day window, he would remain on the reserve/physically unable to perform list for the remainder of the season. Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot thinks the team may activate Watson to the 53-man roster before the window closes, but it doesn’t move him any closer to seeing the field.

“The Browns have until Dec. 23 to officially activate Watson off reserve/physically unable to perform to the 53-man roster. Even though he probably won’t play unless Sanders and Gabriel get injured, there’s some thought to activating him so that he can continue to practice and be out on the field with his teammates,” Cabot said. “In addition to getting re-acclimated to the game, he’s been a huge help in practice to the young QBs, especially Sanders now that he’s starting.”

Browns Happy to Have Deshaun Watson Back

Watson has made his impact felt despite being injured and low on the depth chart. The 30-year-old former Pro Bowler has been a mentor to the team’s young quarterbacks, Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel.

“Each and every day he’s doing more, and it’s just great to have him out there,” Browns quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave said. “Like I’ve talked about, it’s been great to have him on the sideline for our young QBs. It was great to have him there for Joe (Flacco). He and Joe had a really good rapport. Of course, they were battling against each other, warriors that saw each other, of course, in the AFC for those years.”

Sanders will start the final four games of the season, barring injury. He’s passed for 769 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions this season. Sanders is coming off his best performance as a pro, passing for 364 yards and accounting for four total touchdowns in a loss to the Tennessee Titans.

Deshaun Watson to Remain With Browns Next Season

The Browns are tied to Watson for next season thanks to the $230 million fully guaranteed contract the team gave him in 2022. Financially, the Browns would have a tough time trading or cutting Watson. However, Watson’s openness to be a mentor is has made the team excited about having him around.

“The Browns believe Watson has contributed to their quarterback room and provided a veteran presence that has had value for their rookie quarterbacks,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter said recently. “That’s another reason he was back at practice last week and is expected back with the team next season.”

Watson has gone 9-10 as the starter in Cleveland since arriving via a blockbuster trade in 2022. With the Browns looking to reboot the quarterback position, the path back to the starting role appears unlikely for Watson. However, Watson wants to stick around in the NFL and may have to adjust to life as a veteran backup.

J.R. DeGroote JR DeGroote is a staff writer for Heavy.com, where he has covered the NFL, NBA, and trending sports stories since 2019. His work focuses on some of the most passionate fanbases in sports, including reporting on the Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Lakers. More about J.R. DeGroote