Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson played just six games last year before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury that required surgery. The injury contributed to Cleveland's quarterback inconsistencies during a year with seven starting quarterback changes and four starters.
Watson, P.J. Walker Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Joe Flacco all lined up as QB1 for the team at some point and each recorded at least one win. Watson is expected to be back for the 2024 season and has a lot to prove, as he's played just six games in his first two seasons with the team and has not impressed much in those 12 total starts.
Browns general manager Andrew Berry gave an update on Watson's recovery, crediting his quarterback for his dedication to getting ready for the season.
"First and foremost, Deshaun has really worked his tail off during the rehabilitation process over the last several months," Berry said, via NFL.com. "He's really actually ahead of schedule. He's really chomping at the bit to take the governor off so to speak, but really he's had a really nice spring. He's thrown the ball well. Did a really nice job during our 7-on-7 and team periods during this veteran minicamp. So, we're excited as he gets into training camp and gets the pads on."
Berry went so far as to say that Watson does not look like someone who is recovering from a season-ending injury.
"He's making excellent progress. Honestly if you didn't know he got hurt last year, you really wouldn't be able to tell the difference. We're very excited once camp starts."
Watson is entering the third year of a five-year, fully guaranteed $230 million deal that so far has not worked out as the Browns had hoped. The 28-year-old ranks among the worst in many quarterbacks categories. Out of 45 quarterbacks with at least 300 pass attempts since 2022, he is 41st in completion percentage (59.8), 36th in passing yards per attempt (6.5), 31st in touchdown to interception ratio (14-9) and 37th in passer rating (81.7).
The Browns gave up three first-round picks, along with three other picks, to acquire Watson. Now that he has an entire season ahead of him, he has the chance to get back to his Pro Bowl form that he had with the Houston Texans.
