The Cleveland Browns announced on Wednesday, November 15 that starting QB Deshuan Watson is out for the season. He needs surgery to repair a broken bone in his throwing shoulder from taking a big hit against the Ravens the week prior.
The Browns beat the Ravens to move to 6-3 at 3rd in the AFC north. With Watson out for the season, the Browns decide to start backup QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson, with QB PJ Walker at backup.
Watson had only started 6 games this season from a shoulder injury he first got week 3 against the Tennessee Titans. He then sat out 4 games to rehab his shoulder, he returned to the field against the cardinals in week 8. He re-injured it against the Ravens the week after.
The Browns and the Browns fans prior to the injury thought Watson was just getting started into looking great like he once was in the 2018-2019 season.
“I’m still in disbelief. I’m still trying to process all the information… I felt like we were turning a corner to really make a run and still believe we still will with the guys in this locker room. I just wanted to physically be a part of it… It’s tough to try to wrap everything around my head right now,” says Watson.
The whole Browns team is in shock and many people have big doubts about the Browns rest of the season. Watson feels like he is a let down after giving the team high hopes for a far playoff push to not having a starting quarterback days later.
Watson is looking forward to being fully recovered and healthy by summer camp of the 2024-2025 season.
“He’s disappointed. He’s a competitor. He’s a leader of the football team. So it’s tough. We’ve all been around this game, we’ve seen guys have season-ending injuries and it’s no fun for anybody. You feel for those guys,” says Stefanski.
Thompson-Robinson (DTR) has started in a game before against the Ravens in week 4, but the Browns went on to lose 28-3 but DTR was notified 3 days before the game and had no time to prepare. DTR and the Browns are hoping this week against the Steelers, the outcome is different than it was the last time the Browns played with DTR starting.
With just a week of practice to prepare for the game QB, DTR is the starting quarterback for the Browns.
“I want to give him a week where he knows he’s the starter against a full week of preparation,” says Stefanski.
