The Cleveland Browns, led by Deshaun Watson, are having an average season this year. In the highly competitive AFC North, they are sitting in the third spot with a 4-3 record. This can’t be marked too badly, as the top two teams played one more game than the Browns, and hence, they still possess full potential to lead the division.
Nevertheless, the Browns can’t ignore the struggle on their offensive side, as Watson has become a constant victim of injuries this season. However, ahead of the week 9 campaign against the Arizona Cardinals, the quarterback has a promising update on his injury.
Is Deshaun Watson going to play against the Cardinals?
Watson was able to throw balls in three consecutive practice sessions. On Friday, he even took all of the Browns’ reps in the red zone during the portion. Witnessing these promising updates, he as well as the team’s head coach Kevin Stefanski, and medical staff believe he is ready to rule the offense again, via AP News. NFL insider Adam Schefter said the QB will be starting the upcoming match against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.
The signal-caller had been plagued by injuries this season, which ultimately forced him to miss a couple of games. However, he earlier shed light on the discussion, saying the decisions had been taken by the franchise and medical staff to ensure his long-term availability.
“The arrow is going up. The process has been very, very good. They don’t want to put me in a spot where I can reinjure my 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 as an organization, whatever is best for the team, the future of this team is definitely what we need to be heading to.”
In Watson’s absence, backup QB P.J. Walker did the quarterbacking task for the Browns. He will be seen again in the backup role as the team’s QB1 resumes play on Sunday.
How did Deshaun Watson get injured?
After missing two games in week 4 and 6, Watson resumed play on week 7 against the Indianapolis Colts on October 22. However, he once again fell prey to injury after getting brutally shoved to the ground by the rival’s defender Dayo Odeyingbo with around three minutes remaining. His head was slammed extremely hard, and the team decided to rule him out of the contest immediately.
The head coach of the Browns provided insights into the quarterback’s recent injury, attributing it to a hard hit that landed on his problematic shoulder. He also mentioned that the lingering swelling from the injury was affecting the quarterback’s throwing ability.
Prior to this incident, Watson had already missed two games because of a bruised rotator cuff sustained during a match against the Tennessee Titans. It’s important to note that during those weeks, the experienced quarterback couldn’t participate in practice sessions, underscoring the seriousness of his physical condition.
What’s your take on Deshaun’s recent injury update? Tell us in the comments.
