Browns' Deshaun Watson: Unlikely to play this season

Now Playing

Link copied!

Watson (Achilles) isn't expected to play at any point this season, but Cleveland plans to keep the veteran quarterback on its roster in 2026, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Watson was designated for return from the PUP list Wednesday and logged a trio of limited practices this week. While Watson's presence at practice seems to indicate that the 2017 first-round draft pick has reached the final stage in his recovery from a re-ruptured right Achilles tendon, the Browns appear content to keep him out of games amid a season in which they've relied primarily on rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders to handle quarterback duties. Though Cleveland is leaning toward keeping Watson around for next season, that doesn't necessarily mean he'll reclaim a starting role. Schefter notes that money is part of the reason why the Browns expect Watson back, and also indicates that the team values his veteran presence around the rookie signal-callers. The Browns would incur a dead-cap salary charge of close to $135 million if Watson were released before June 1 and a $53 million charge if he were designated as a post-June 1 cut.