At least there won’t be any strange uncertainty surrounding Deshaun Watson this week.
The Cleveland Browns are ruling him out early in the week. On Wednesday, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski announced that Watson will miss Cleveland’s Week 8 game at the Seattle Seahawks. P.J. Walker will start again.
Watson started on Sunday, but left after just five throws when he was hit hard. There were reports earlier this week about Watson having a rotator cuff strain in his throwing shoulder. It was time for the Browns to give Watson some time to heal.
“I just feel like with what happened in the game, landing on his shoulder, there’s residual swelling that’s affecting his throwing,” Stefanski said. “I think it’s the best thing for him to rest this week and focus on his rehab.”
The Browns have not handled the situation well. It started when Stefanski told the media that Watson was cleared medically but it was his decision to not start against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 4. Watson didn’t return in Week 6 after the team’s bye even though the team kept the door open for him to play until late in the week, which led to more speculation. The Browns started Watson in Week 7 but he left in the first quarter, and Stefanski was vague in saying he wanted to “protect” Watson.
After weeks of weird answers and speculation, there has been some actual information from the team to why Watson isn’t playing and a definitive action in regards to his playing status this week. It doesn’t help the Browns in the short term to be without their quarterback, but they’ll hope Walker can keep them afloat until Watson is ready to return.
Daniel Miller is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. His coverage spans from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis for sports enthusiasts.
