Deshaun Watson injury update: Browns QB has ruptured Achilles injury, out for season

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Deshaun Watson injury update: Browns QB has ruptured Achilles injury, out for season

Chris Easterling, Akron Beacon Journal · Akron Beacon Journal

Mon, Oct 21, 2024 ·

8 min read

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CLEVELAND — Deshaun Watson left the Browns ' 21-14 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday when he injured his Achilles late in the second quarter. It turned out to be a season-ending rupture of the tendon.

It's the latest setback in what has become an annual occurrence for the quarterback since Cleveland acquired him in a trade with the Houston Texans on March 18, 2022. Watson has not played in more than seven games in any season since the trade, either because of suspension or injuries.

Watson was suspended 11 games in 2022 for NFL personal conduct policy violations in connection with more than two dozen lawsuits by women in the Houston area alleging sexual assault and/or sexual misconduct during massage appointments. He missed 11 games last season because of multiple shoulder injuries.

Here's what we know about Watson's status for the remainder of the Browns season, as well as the injury he's dealing with:

What happened to Deshaun Watson

Watson suffered a non-contact injury with 1:22 remaining in the second quarter of Sunday's game. The quarterback took a snap out of the shotgun and went to run forward on an apparent designed run from the Bengals 21.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson is checked on by medical staff after an injury during the first half against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday in Cleveland. — Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson is checked on by medical staff after an injury during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Oct. 20, 2024, in Cleveland, Ohio.

As Watson took his second step and planted his right foot, his calf appeared to buckle. He stumbled to the ground about two yards behind the line of scrimmage and immediately grabbed his lower right leg.

Medical personnel worked on Watson for a few minutes, but the cart was quickly summoned to take him back to the locker room. It was during the initial moments after he went down that some in the crowd initially cheered, which drew a strong rebuke postgame from other Browns players.

Second-year pro Dorian Thompson-Robinson replaced Watson at quarterback and played until deep in the fourth quarter when he left the game with a finger injury. Jameis Winston , who was demoted to the No. 3 emergency quarterback for Sunday's game, led the Browns to a touchdown on his only possession.

Deshaun Watson injury update

Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said after the game he wanted to wait for the test results to come back before making a final declaration. However, he did say he believed it was a season-ending injury.

Watson underwent an MRI on the Achilles on Monday. That MRI revealed that he had, in fact, suffered a ruptured tendon that will end his season.

The team officially confirmed that fact in a statement Monday afternoon: "Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) this morning confirmed that Deshaun Watson sustained a ruptured right Achilles tendon in the second quarter of yesterday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals . The injury will require surgical repair, and Deshaun will miss the remainder of the 2024 season. A full recovery is expected."

Head coach Kevin Stefanski spoke shortly after the official announcement was made during his weekly day-after Zoom call with the media.

"Obviously we're disappointed when we lose anybody to injuries," Stefanski said. "That's a very, very, very unfortunate part of our game, so it's tough. So we feel bad for Deshaun in this case, feel bad to lose him for the season. And we also know as a football team, this is where you have to step up, guys have to step up, and that's just how it goes."

Is Aaron Rodgers showing Deshaun Watson the path to recovery from an Achilles injury?

Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot reported Monday morning that Watson was pursuing the same "speed bridge" surgery technique that Dr. Neal ElAttrache used on New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers last year. ElAttrache was the same Los Angeles-based surgeon who repaired a broken glenoid and other structural issues with Watson's right shoulder last November.

Rodgers suffered an Achilles tear on the fourth play of last season's opener on Sept. 11, 2023. After undergoing the surgery, which involves attaching the Achilles tendon to the heel bone through stitches and suture anchors, Rodgers was on the practice field 77 days after the injury,

Typically, recovery from an Achilles tear last between 9 months to a full year. Rodgers did not return to game action last season, despite his first practice being on Nov. 29.

Rodgers, despite being 40, has played in every game thus far for the Jets this season.

What other prominent Achilles injuries have there been recently in the NFL?

Two other prominent Achilles injuries that happened a year ago show the more normal recovery process: then-Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins and San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw . Cousins tore his on Oct. 29 of last year, while Greenlaw suffered his during the Super Bowl on Feb. 11.

Cousins, who signed with the Atlanta Falcons in March, participated in some of the Falcons' offseason program. He has started all seven games for Atlanta this season.

Greenlaw, who is a little over eight months removed from the injury, still has an unknown return date for the 49ers. The team had always viewed a midseason return as the starting point for his comeback.

Deshaun Watson injury history

Watson's had more than his fair share of injuries, dating back to his time in college at Clemson University. That includes multiple injuries that ended up being season-ending injuries.

During his freshman season at Clemson in 2014 , Watson missed three games because of a broken bone in his right hand suffered on Oct. 11, then suffered a torn left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his knee in practice, which he still played through nine days later against South Carolina. During spring practice earlier that year, he also sustained a cracked collarbone, but it healed in time for the 2014 season.

Watson's rookie season was cut short after seven games in 2017 when he suffered a grade three tear of the ACL in his right knee. That injury, as was the case with the one at Clemson, happened in practice.

The next season, in 2018, Watson played through bruised lungs and rib injuries . He famously bused 12 hours from Houston to Jacksonville, Florida, to play in a Week 7 game.

Watson dealt with a back issue before the Texans' regular-season finale in 2019. Although he was dressed for the game, he did not play against the Tennessee Titans .

The quarterback was a healthy scratch for the duration of the 2021 season, his final one with the Texans. The decision was a combination of a trade request/contract dispute with the organization, as well as the multiple lawsuits filed against him.

Watson missed the first 11 games of the 2022 season with the Browns. That was not injury related, but because of suspension.

Last season, Watson suffered a rotator cuff injury when he took a hit on a run during a Week 3 win over the Tennessee Titans. The injury caused him to miss three full games, and he also had to leave a Week 7 game at the Indianapolis Colts after he appeared to reinjure the shoulder.

Two games into Watson's return to the field after the initial shoulder injury last season, he sustained a broken glenoid in the same shoulder in a Week 10 win over the Baltimore Ravens . He underwent season-ending surgery on Nov. 21.

After a ramp-up process that limited Watson through most of the offseason program, he mostly was a full participant in training camp as he returned from the shoulder surgery. He didn't play in any of the three preseason games , as Stefanski changed his mind after initially wanting to start him in the preseason finale at the Seattle Seahawks .

When Deshaun Watson play next for the Cleveland Browns ?

Not a chance this season. The real question is, when will Watson play in another NFL game?

When does Deshaun Watson's contract end?

The Browns are on the hook for another two years because of the fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract they gave Watson after the trade from the Texans. It's your standard NFL contract, meaning it protects the player in case of injury.

That means the Browns will still be responsible for $92 million over the next two seasons. There's also the salary-cap implications, with $72.935 million cap hits still remaining for the 2025 and 2026 seasons, plus a void-year hit of $26.864 million in 2027.

Stefanski was asked Monday if he knew what Watson really was as a quarterback at this point in the season.

"I feel badly for Deshaun with this injury," Stefanski said. "This is a tough break for him, but I know he will bounce back. But he's been a great contributor to this football team, both in the locker room, on the practice field, on the game field. And we'll just support him as he rehabs from that injury."

There could be some kind of eventual injury settlement reached. However, that would be an offseason conversation.

Spotrac reported Monday the Browns insured $13.9 million of Watson's 2024 compensation. That would be used to provide some mild salary cap relief in 2025.

Browns depth chart at QB, including Jameis Winston, after Deshaun Watson injury

The Browns started the week with three quarterbacks on the roster. That, obviously, included Watson.

Here's the quarterback position currently, assuming Watson ends up on injured reserve:

Dorian Thompson-Robinson
Jameis Winston

The Browns will be bringing in at least a practice squad quarterback considering the finger injury Thompson-Robinson is dealing with. That individual would likely be signed Tuesday or Wednesday.

Where is Joe Flacco right now?

The veteran quarterback is currently serving as Anthony Richardson 's backup with the Indianapolis Colts. Flacco, the 38-year-old former Super Bowl Most Valuable Player , did not re-sign with the Browns in the offseason after he came off the couch to go 4-1 as a starter last December and help them secure a playoff berth.

Flacco has appeared in three games, including two starts, this season for the Colts. He's completed 65.7% of his passes for 716 yards with seven touchdowns and one interception.

(This story has been updated with new information.)

Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Deshaun Watson Achilles injury status, update for Browns QB

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