Browns QB Deshaun Watson could miss 2025 season after suffering setback in recovery from Achilles injury

[Vambo]

Browns QB Deshaun Watson could miss 2025 season after suffering setback in recovery from Achilles injury - CBSSports.com

 

The Browns might need a new starting signal-caller for 2025

 

By John Breech

 

18 hrs ago•2 min read

Deshaun Watson will definitely be returning to the Cleveland Browns in 2025, but there's now a chance that he won't be able to play a single down next season. 

Browns general manager Andrew Berry revealed on Monday that Watson experienced a setback while recovering from an Achilles injury that he originally suffered in mid-October.  

"As we went through our normal player medical process, we did learn that he did have a setback in his Achilles recovery," Berry told the media. "We don't have all the details and everything yet, but it will obviously extend the recovery process for him. It is new information just learned in the past couple of hours, so I don't have everything yet."

It generally takes nine to 12 months for a player to recover from an Achilles injury, which means Watson would have been pushing it to return for Week 1 in 2025 if he DIDN'T have a setback, but now, the Browns are starting at situation where he could miss the 2025 season. 

Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles on Oct. 30, 2023 and was able to return for the Atlanta Falcons' 2024 opener on Sept. 8. Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles on Sept. 11, 2023 with the Jets and was able to return for their 2024 opener on Sept. 9. 

 

Deshaun Watson

CLE • QB • #4

CMP%63.4

YDS1148

TD5

INT3

YD/ATT5.31

Watson's injury originally occurred on Oct. 20, so it was certainly possible that he could return in Week 1, but a setback definitely throws a wrench into that timeline. Berry didn't rule out the possibility of Watson missing 2025, but he also said that it's "too early to tell." 

"I don't have all the information," Berry said. "I don't want to rule out anything with a major injury. We are still collecting all the information. Obviously, our main focus is to make sure he can get as healthy as possible."

 

The Browns general manager was also asked if Watson might need another surgery. 

"I can't rule anything out, but I will know more in the next couple of days," Berry said. 

If Watson does need another surgery, there's a good chance he would miss a good chunk of the 2025 season, if not all of it. 

The Browns restructured Watson's fully guaranteed contract in late December, and with the way it was set up, it pretty much guaranteed he would be on the roster for the final two years of his deal (2025 and 2026). 

Going into 2025 offseason, the Browns were going to be in the market for a quarterback to possibly compete with Watson, but if he can't play at all, they're going to be in the market for a starting quarterback. The Browns clinched the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL Draft on Sunday, and with Watson's setback, it now seems a lot more likely that they'll end up taking a quarterback with that pick. 

Watson started a total of seven games for the Browns this season before tearing his Achilles on Oct. 20. If Watson were to miss the 2025 season, that means he would have missed 38 of a possible 51 games due to injury over a three-season span where the Browns had to pay him $46 million in guaranteed money each year. 

 

 

[ballpeen]

This actually fits what i have thought all along.  This will give us the ability the IR the guy and at least not have to use a roster spot to keep him around.  Now all we have to do is get rid of Dorian so we can just move forward.

 

Sign a bridge vet.

Keep Zappe and your 2nd or 3rd team QB.

Draft a rookie in the 2nd round to be your eventual starter.

I'd still trade down 4-5 slots to get an additional 2nd rounder plus something, which would allow you get back in to the late 1st round to get the QB

 

 

[Dutch Oven]

5 minutes ago, ballpeen said:

This actually fits what i have thought all along.  This will give us the ability the IR the guy and at least not have to use a roster spot to keep him around.  Now all we have to do is get rid of Dorian so we can just move forward.

 

Sign a bridge vet.

Keep Zappe and your 2nd or 3rd team QB.

Draft a rookie in the 2nd round to be your eventual starter.

I'd still trade down 4-5 slots to get an additional 2nd rounder plus something, which would allow you get back in to the late 1st round to get the QB

 

 

That's close to what I want...

Sign a bridge vet like Cousins.

Draft a rookie in the 3rd-5th that Stefanski thinks could actually run his offense. DTR was always a bad fit in a Stefanski offense, but in the half-assed RPO we tried for Watson, I guess it made sense. Don't expect the rookie to become the eventual starter, but someone who could run the offense if needed.

Trade Down in this draft, targeting picks for next draft.

Go after a top QB next draft, when Allar, Manning, Neissmeier, etc come out. 

[Vambo]

2 hours ago, ballpeen said:

This actually fits what i have thought all along.  This will give us the ability the IR the guy and at least not have to use a roster spot to keep him around.  Now all we have to do is get rid of Dorian so we can just move forward.

 

Sign a bridge vet.

Keep Zappe and your 2nd or 3rd team QB.

Draft a rookie in the 2nd round to be your eventual starter.

I'd still trade down 4-5 slots to get an additional 2nd rounder plus something, which would allow you get back in to the late 1st round to get the QB

 

 

Per multiple reports, the Browns could receive up to $44.3 million in insurance relief if he can’t play a game in 2025.

With Andrew Berry basically saying the quarterback room will look drastically different, and now this, it’s very safe to assume that the Watson era is done. In four years, he’s played only 17 games looking frustratingly inconsistent at best.

The experiment is all but over.

[AP1]

2 hours ago, ballpeen said:

This actually fits what i have thought all along.  This will give us the ability the IR the guy and at least not have to use a roster spot to keep him around.

This is about the best possible outcome we could've received given the circumstance.

This is the most relief I've felt since September.

If the right veteran QB can be signed and they can diligently draft a QB to fit Stefanski's offense, then they might be able to pull this off without a total rebuild AND I'LL GLADLY EAT CROW.

It doesn't fix the non-QB issues with the team, but I'd be optimistic that a rising ride lifts all ships...

[Orion]

This certainly raises the urgency regarding the QB position to the level of The Face Of The Franchise as now Watson is pretty much out of that picture.  Zappee Crappee stinks.  I watched him as a Patriot also.  We now have a totally empty QB room.  IMO they will sign a veteran to be the starter after the new league year opens, then will draft what they hope will be their long term answer.  I believe that it will be whichever QB the Titans don't take....but it could be a 2nd or 3rd rounder.  We'll see.

[TexasAg1969]

3 hours ago, Orion said:

This certainly raises the urgency regarding the QB position to the level of The Face Of The Franchise as now Watson is pretty much out of that picture.  Zappee Crappee stinks.  I watched him as a Patriot also.  We now have a totally empty QB room.  IMO they will sign a veteran to be the starter after the new league year opens, then will draft what they hope will be their long term answer.  I believe that it will be whichever QB the Titans don't take....but it could be a 2nd or 3rd rounder.  We'll see.

And I'm thinking desperation means a QB at #2 overall and a veteran to come teach him how to be better. That still does not excuse the stupidity of the FO in letting Flacco go after he pulled their nuts out of the fire last year.

[calfoxwc]

5 hours ago, Orion said:

This certainly raises the urgency regarding the QB position to the level of The Face Of The Franchise as now Watson is pretty much out of that picture.  Zappee Crappee stinks.  I watched him as a Patriot also.  We now have a totally empty QB room.  IMO they will sign a veteran to be the starter after the new league year opens, then will draft what they hope will be their long term answer.  I believe that it will be whichever QB the Titans don't take....but it could be a 2nd or 3rd rounder.  We'll see.

I think Josh Rosen is available............

[syd]

7 hours ago, Vambo said:

Per multiple reports, the Browns could receive up to $44.3 million in insurance relief if he can’t play a game in 2025.

so does that help the cap or just haslems wallet 

[Orion]

3 hours ago, TexasAg1969 said:

And I'm thinking desperation means a QB at #2

When you have an empty QB room on an NFL team, make no mistake about it, you are in dire straights.....desperation mode.

[AP1]

1 hour ago, syd said:

so does that help the cap or just haslems wallet 

It appears, both. From a Yahoo article...

"The Browns, however, have Watson's contract insured. This means they will see some financial relief for time missed by Watson over the past two seasons. Just how much (and keep in mind the insured money does not hit the team's cap space until the following year)?

The Browns had about $14 million of his contract in 2024. With him missing about half of the season, the Browns will see an additional toll of around $7 million added to their cap space total in 2025.

If Watson does not play a down of football in all of 2025, the Browns would receive $44.3 million in insured relief. This is all but $1.7 million of Watson's guaranteed salary in 2025.

This would be recouped in cap space the following year, meaning the Browns would see that 44.3 million hit their account in 2026 if Watson is indeed out all of 2025 as he recovers from his Achilles injury."

[Dutch Oven]

2 hours ago, calfoxwc said:

I think Josh Rosen is available............

Ahh, cal is still butthurt that Rosen made fun of cal's hero Mango Mussolini. 😂

[Dutch Oven]

39 minutes ago, Orion said:

When you have an empty QB room on an NFL team, make no mistake about it, you are in dire straights.....desperation mode.

Are you admitting taking Ward #2 overall would be a desperate move?

[hoorta]

14 hours ago, ballpeen said:

This actually fits what i have thought all along.  This will give us the ability the IR the guy and at least not have to use a roster spot to keep him around.  Now all we have to do is get rid of Dorian so we can just move forward.

Sign a bridge vet.

Keep Zappe and your 2nd or 3rd team QB.

Draft a rookie in the 2nd round to be your eventual starter.

I'd still trade down 4-5 slots to get an additional 2nd rounder plus something, which would allow you get back in to the late 1st round to get the QB

 

I'm tired of the "bridge vet" crap. They're either marginal bums (like we saw with Winston) or aged starters wanting to cash in on one last payday- Cousins, Rodgers...  (forget about the Vikings letting Darnold go)

As other posters opined, Zappe is crappie, and the DTR experiment is an epic FAIL.   

If you're certain the face of the future is there at #2, you don't mess around, you just take him. There's plenty of other holes that need to be addressed, like who's going to play LT. Wills and Ifedi are as good as gone. RB need to be addressed too, as I get the feeling the Browns aren't all that thrilled at bringing back Nick Chubb this year either. 

 

6 hours ago, TexasAg1969 said:

And I'm thinking desperation means a QB at #2 overall and a veteran to come teach him how to be better. That still does not excuse the stupidity of the FO in letting Flacco go after he pulled their nuts out of the fire last year.

And the FO also had no use for Kareem Hunt's 728 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns.  🙄 Well, I don't really want to wish Watson bad luck and yet another 2025 season ending surgery. But karma says with the insurance payout- it wouldn't surprise me if the Browns are hoping they can keep Watson on IR all year, and not waste a roster spot on him. 

[Orion]

3 hours ago, Dutch Oven said:

Are you admitting taking Ward #2 overall would be a desperate move?

I am not.  You'd have to ask Andrew Berry.  What I DO know is that we don't have a QB on our roster that should be brought back next year (save Watson, for reasons out of our control).  If you have an NFL football team with no QB at all, are you not desperate for one?  One could argue that desperate is too mild a word.  If doing something about that situation isn't at the very top of the To Do list, I don't know what else could possibly supplant it.  Now I'm not advocating for them doing something just for the sake of doing something...which is what scares me about Haslem.  Berry and crew have less than two months before FA opens.  And formulating a plan for the QB room has got to be priority #1. 

[Dutch Oven]

7 hours ago, Orion said:

I am not.  You'd have to ask Andrew Berry.  What I DO know is that we don't have a QB on our roster that should be brought back next year (save Watson, for reasons out of our control).  If you have an NFL football team with no QB at all, are you not desperate for one?  One could argue that desperate is too mild a word.  If doing something about that situation isn't at the very top of the To Do list, I don't know what else could possibly supplant it.  Now I'm not advocating for them doing something just for the sake of doing something...which is what scares me about Haslem.  Berry and crew have less than two months before FA opens.  And formulating a plan for the QB room has got to be priority #1. 

Actually that is exactly what you are doing.

Other people on here have given ideas of what to do regarding the QB situation, while your stance is "We have no QBs, we have the #2 pick, Cam Ward is the #2 QB, so we have to use the #2 pick on the #2 QB." If you actually believed in Ward and said you think he's an excellent prospect and worth such a high pick, I could agree to disagree, but I'd understand why you are advocating for us to take him. But you aren't, you are literally saying we have to take him just because. 

Which is how teams end up with the Anthony Richardsons, Daniel Jones and such. 

[Flugel]

52 minutes ago, Dutch Oven said:

Actually that is exactly what you are doing.

Other people on here have given ideas of what to do regarding the QB situation, while your stance is "We have no QBs, we have the #2 pick, Cam Ward is the #2 QB, so we have to use the #2 pick on the #2 QB." If you actually believed in Ward and said you think he's an excellent prospect and worth such a high pick, I could agree to disagree, but I'd understand why you are advocating for us to take him. But you aren't, you are literally saying we have to take him just because. 

Which is how teams end up with the Anthony Richardsons, Daniel Jones and such. 

BUT, we don't want to be a team that drafts a 28 year old Brandon Weeden in round 1 when there's a Russell Wilson and Nick Foles in round 3.. Like many drafts, there's going to be better QBs drafted than the most familiar names in round 1.  The ability to find one rewards the franchise/scouts/FO that does their due diligence.  Even though they're exceptions to the rule - it wasn't like some Jed Clampett drafted Tom Brady or Brock Purdy.  When Tom Brady was drafted (Belichick/NE FO) in round 6 the Browns drafted Spergon Wynn before that.  Kyle Shanahan/GM John Lunch (Stanford Grad/SB Champion Safety) drafted Brock Purdy with the last pick on that draft class.  Make no mistake - it's not just the team that drafts them.  It's their franchise IQ to make the development process far less complicated and turbulent than this franchise has consistently done all the way back to 99 and further. Other than Baker - the last QB this team got right in the draft (albeit via the 85 supplemental draft) was Bernie Kosar (40 years ago).  

I get the QB position wrong way more than I get it right.  MY idea for a good OC would be one of our former QBs Josh McCown who's been working as the QB Coach in Minnesota. I'm guessing he was a big help to Sam Darnold this season. 

All that to say, there COULD very well be a QB after round 1 that can help this team if we did a trade-back to add more 1st and/or 2nd round picks.  I'm thinking maybe a Will Howard, who hasn't played his best football yet or you decide.  My previous Kyle McCord idea would be in round 4 where Kirk Cousins was drafted once upon a time when RG3andout was drafted by the same team in round.  Ironically, if we went this route - maybe Cousins is a FA vet we start.

Shifting gears, if Penn State does the unthinkable under James Franklin and wins the Natty - is it conceivable that Allar changes his mind in lieu of risking injury coming back?

[Orion]

2 hours ago, Dutch Oven said:

Actually that is exactly what you are doing.

Other people on here have given ideas of what to do regarding the QB situation, while your stance is "We have no QBs, we have the #2 pick, Cam Ward is the #2 QB, so we have to use the #2 pick on the #2 QB." If you actually believed in Ward and said you think he's an excellent prospect and worth such a high pick, I could agree to disagree, but I'd understand why you are advocating for us to take him. But you aren't, you are literally saying we have to take him just because. 

Which is how teams end up with the Anthony Richardsons, Daniel Jones and such. 

OK, so here's my response from another thread regarding Ward:

Because he's the best QB in the draft.  I like the way he can sling the ball from just about any ol' position.  Does he step into and through his throws beautifully?  Not right now.  But how many times is a QB not afforded the ability to step through the throw because pressure is coming in front of him?  

Are the QB's the best talent on the board?  Usually not.  But QB's are graded on a curve because your football team is completely screwed if ya don't have one.  The LT, Edge rusher, CB, whatever is not gonna throw and TD passes for ya.

[Dutch Oven]

1 hour ago, Flugel said:

Shifting gears, if Penn State does the unthinkable under James Franklin and wins the Natty - is it conceivable that Allar changes his mind in lieu of risking injury coming back?

It’s funny you mention that, because there’s been murmurs that could actually happen. I like him, but like Sam Darnold back in 2018, I really think he would do himself a favor by going back to school next year.

[ballpeen]

On 1/7/2025 at 9:56 PM, hoorta said:

I'm tired of the "bridge vet" crap. They're either marginal bums (like we saw with Winston) or aged starters wanting to cash in on one last payday- Cousins, Rodgers...  (forget about the Vikings letting Darnold go)

As other posters opined, Zappe is crappie, and the DTR experiment is an epic FAIL.   

If you're certain the face of the future is there at #2, you don't mess around, you just take him. There's plenty of other holes that need to be addressed, like who's going to play LT. Wills and Ifedi are as good as gone. RB need to be addressed too, as I get the feeling the Browns aren't all that thrilled at bringing back Nick Chubb this year either. 

 

And the FO also had no use for Kareem Hunt's 728 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns.  🙄 Well, I don't really want to wish Watson bad luck and yet another 2025 season ending surgery. But karma says with the insurance payout- it wouldn't surprise me if the Browns are hoping they can keep Watson on IR all year, and not waste a roster spot on him. 

If we think that Sanders or Ward are indeed the future...I agree, just draft them.  I don't think they are, but that is just my opinion.

[Canton Dawg]

I saw this floating around on social media this afternoon. . .

 

[Browns149]

4 minutes ago, Canton Dawg said:

I saw this floating around on social media this afternoon. . .

 

His career is over. 

[syd]

54 minutes ago, Browns149 said:

His career is over. 

Good who fucking cares,Fuck #4,,,so just how did this imbecile roll his freaking ankle ?  leaving a massage therapists house ? what a stupid piece of garbage. I wonder if dirtbag haslem lawyers can kind a way to sue his worthless ass

[hoorta]

On 1/10/2025 at 4:10 PM, Browns149 said:

His career is over. 

Highly likley.

On 1/10/2025 at 4:55 PM, syd said:

Good who fucking cares,Fuck #4,,,so just how did this imbecile roll his freaking ankle ?  leaving a massage therapists house ? what a stupid piece of garbage. I wonder if dirtbag haslem lawyers can kind a way to sue his worthless ass

The Browns do have injury insurance, but DW is done. I did read if he was supposed to be wearing a boot- and wasn't- when he reinjured his stupid self, the Browns may be able to void the rest of his contract. 

Besides 0-16, we're now in the HOF for the #1 all time bad trade.  

[Browns149]

I’m guessing that the NFL is NOT going to let the Browns void his contract. They want to punish Jimmuh for doing this crap ass deal. And I don’t blame them

The only good thing that can happen from this fiasco, is the NFL has the balls to somehow get rid of an incompetent owner, that we are stuck with. 
 

Otherwise, this is just another chapter of our nightmare 

[TexasAg1969]

3 hours ago, hoorta said:

Highly likley.

The Browns do have injury insurance, but DW is done. I did read if he was supposed to be wearing a boot- and wasn't- when he reinjured his stupid self, the Browns may be able to void the rest of his contract. 

Besides 0-16, we're now in the HOF for the #1 all time bad trade.  

Look out the window. There has to be a beanstalk somewhere.🤗🫘

[Flugel]

Either Jimmy thinks he has the best FO - or the ONLY reason his FO has tenure is that he's finally realized that he's so bad at hiring a FO that he's railroading himself to stick with it.

That doesn't really give any of us warm and fuzzy goose bumps heading into what looks to be our most important draft in years.  The only Pro Bowl player this FO drafted is JOK; and there's rumors his career could be done already...

 

 

[Vambo]

VIDEO: Footage Surfaces Exposing Deshaun Watson For Clearly Not Taking His Rehab Seriously Before Re-Tearing His Achilles Just 2 Months After Surgery

 

[calfoxwc]

I hope the NFL forces the filthy haslams to seel the Browns.

[Browns149]

50 minutes ago, calfoxwc said:

I hope the NFL forces the filthy haslams to seel the Browns.

We can only hope. But unless he’s costing them money or being a perv, they probably won’t.