Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry provided a significant injury update on quarterback Deshaun Watson which indicates that his NFL future is on thin ice.
Deshaun Watson’s nightmare tenure in Cleveland got even worse in a Week 7 game against the Cincinnati Bengals when he suffered a torn right Achilles that ended his season. In January, news emerged that Watson required surgery after tearing the same Achilles a second time.
Watson’s 2025 season is already in doubt, but new comments from Berry strongly indicate that the 29-year-old QB has already played his final season with the franchise.
Per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, Berry told reporters at the Scouting Combine that Watson will miss “significant time” in 2025:
“Unfortunately, he turned his foot (or) ankle that caused the re-tear during the normal stages of the recovery process. I know there’s been a lot of speculation and everything out there, but there’s nothing nefarious. It’s just an unfortunate accident. So our focus is on making sure that he gets healthy and can be back to normal.
How far that spans into 2025, I can’t give you a specific right now. He’s shown to be a fast healer and we’re going to try and be as thoughtful and aggressive with the recovery process, but that’s not something that I could predict at currently.”
The Browns hold the No. 2 pick (Tennessee Titans are No. 1) in the 2025 NFL Draft and can take one of the top two quarterback prospects in Miami’s Cam Ward or Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders.
If Cleveland isn’t sold on this year’s QB draft class, however, expect them to pursue someone via trade or free agency. The options there could include Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, Kirk Cousins and maybe even Aaron Rodgers.
Browns Need To Move On From Deshaun Watson
Deshaun Watson (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
The Browns faced significant backlash in 2022 when they acquired Watson in an offseason trade with the Houston Texans, as he was accused of sexual misconduct by more than two dozen women.
The move was disastrous from a PR standpoint, and the Browns have only gotten worse as a franchise since bringing him aboard. His legal issues, hefty contract, injury history and awful production should make Watson’s release an easy decision for Berry and company.
