Word emerged in January that Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson could miss all of the 2025 season after re-tearing his Achilles.
At that point, it was unclear how Watson was injured for the second time after first tearing his Achilles in October. But on Tuesday, General Manager Andrew Berry clarified that Watson wasn’t doing anything outside of the ordinary before complaining of more Achilles discomfort.
“Yeah, so obviously Deshaun, he reinjured his Achilles. Unfortunately, he turned his foot [or] ankle that caused the re-tear during the normal stages of the recovery process,” Berry said. “I know there’s been a lot of speculation and everything out there, but there’s nothing nefarious. It’s just an unfortunate accident.
“So, our focus is on making sure that he gets healthy and can be back to normal.”
Berry added that it’s still a little too early to give a firm timetable for Watson’s recovery.
“He will miss significant time,” Berry said. “How far that spans into 2025? I can’t give you a specific [answer] right now. He’s shown to be a fast healer and we’re going to try and be as thoughtful and aggressive with the recovery process, but that’s not something that I could predict at currently.”
Whenever Watson recovers, it doesn’t seem likely that he’s going to automatically slide back into his role as Browns starting quarterback. Watson has performed poorly since arriving in Cleveland, but particularly struggled mightily in 2024. He completed 63.4 percent of his passes for 1,148 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions in seven games, also rushing for 148 yards with a TD.
While the Browns could use their No. 2 overall pick on a quarterback, they also seem likely to add a veteran via trade or free agency.
