Browns to start Watson at QB against Cardinals

Last updated: 2023/11/03 at 9:40 PM

BigP Published November 3, 2023

Jake Trotter, ESPN Staff WriterNov 3, 2023, 01:01 PM ET
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BEREA, Ohio — Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson will start Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland coach Kevin Stefanski announced Friday.

Watson has missed all but one quarter of Cleveland’s past four games due to a rotator cuff strain in his right throwing shoulder. Watson was limited in practices Wednesday and Thursday but had a full practice Friday.

“He’s comfortable,” Stefanski said. “He looks good.”

Watson last started against the Indianapolis Colts on Oct. 22, but left in the first quarter after taking a hit. He said afterward he had aggravated the shoulder, though an MRI afterward showed no further damage. When he left, Watson had completed just 1 of 5 passes for 5 yards and an interception.

Watson didn’t practice last week as he focused on rehabilitation and sat out Cleveland’s 24-20 loss at Seattle last weekend.

Watson said Thursday that he “jumped the gun” when he tried to come back against the Colts.

“We all got to be on the same page,” he said. “I told the guys that I was ready for Indianapolis week. That was my decision. And look, I wasn’t ready.”

Watson first injured the shoulder on a run during a win over the Tennessee Titans on Sept. 24.

PJ Walker started the past three games for the Browns and replaced Watson in the Colts game. Walker will back up Watson on Sunday.

Watson ranks 24th in the NFL in QBR (41.8). He has completed 61.7% of his passes for 683 yards with four touchdown throws and three interceptions.

Watson said this week that his shoulder is “getting better each and every day,” but that he didn’t know when it would be 100% again.

“The arrow is going up,” he said. “The process has been very, very good. … They don’t want to put me in a spot where I reinjure the shoulder. There’s a fine line … Of course, I want to play. As long as we’re all on the same page as a player, as a staff and an organization — whatever is best for the team, the future of this team is definitely what we need to be heading to.”