BEREA, Ohio — Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson has been working for the past several months to rehab a shoulder injury that ended his season last year and required surgery to repair. Now, that work continues in Berea as the Browns progress through offseason workouts.
But where is Watson in his rehab progression?
Head coach Kevin Stefanski has spent significant time with Watson, not just at the practice facility but out in Los Angeles, where the quarterback did much of his early rehab.
With the first session of voluntary OTAs starting Tuesday, Watson was able to throw in warmups and drills, something he's been doing in individual work but hadn't been able to do with teammates in Berea.
"He looked like himself to me. I've been able to watch him the last couple of weeks now that we've gotten into Phase 2, so I've seen him throw. He’s making great progress and we will continue to just follow the medical team on this, but he looks like himself," Stefanski said on Wednesday.
Some videos of Watson throwing on Tuesday were posted on the Browns' social media accounts, but during the session open to media on Wednesday, the quarterback was on a light day of work.
As part of his rehab process, Watson will have days off from throwing, the frequency of which will change as offseason workouts continue and Watson's progress continues to improve.
“We're rotating days for now. That will change as we get into mini-camp, obviously as we get into training camp. But for right now, he'll be throwing every other day,” Stefanski said.
While he didn't throw Wednesday, Watson was still out on the practice fields working with his teammates. Watson participated in walkthroughs and when it came time for 7-on-7 drills, took mental reps alongside Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who is working his way back from a hip injury. The two rehabbing quarterbacks watched the plays and took the mental reps behind Jameis Winston and Tyler Huntley.
#Browns QB Deshaun Watson wasn't scheduled to throw today while he continues working through his shoulder rehab, but he was still there for walkthroughs and was taking mental reps behind Jameis Winston and Tyler Huntley during today's OTA session. pic.twitter.com/1Z1Q353TvS
— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) May 22, 2024
Even shut down from throwing for the day, having Watson on the fields was something his teammates appreciated and his progress is exciting for the team that hopes he can come back and help lead a revamped offense shaped up with the help of new offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey with the new additions of players like Jerry Jeudy, Nyheim Hines and D'Onta Foreman.
"It means a lot. Having our QB1 out there with the guys, just coaching everybody up. He’s healthy. Oh, man, we’re just excited to just see what he has in store for us this year," said cornerback MJ Emerson.
For veteran defensive end Za'Darius Smith, seeing Watson rehab from an injury is something he can appreciate the difficulty of and he said it is allowing Watson's leadership to shine through.
"To have him back is big, for him to get his confidence back. I know that he went through an injury last year, coming back from injuries can be hard for a lot of people. For me, myself, I went through a back injury, like you said, being wanted. I thought at that time career was over with," Smith said. "But for him I'm just seeing the confidence, the smiles on his face every time I come to work in the morning and just that leadership on the offensive side of the ball when something's not going right, he'll basically stop the play and like ‘come on, let's start over.’ So to have that leadership at our quarterback position is big for us and hopefully, like I said, we can go far this year."
The progress may be ramping up in Berea, but it began out in Los Angeles, where Watson did a good amount of his rehabbing. Stefanski wasn't the only one who visited Watson on the West Coast.
Hines, who is recovering from a torn ACL that occurred in a freak jet ski accident, did some of his own rehab alongside Watson in LA.
"I've been in LA with him rehabbing. Honestly, he's still working through his rehab but sometimes doesn't feel like it. I've caught some passes from him, they have the zip on it," Hines said. "I'm excited to see him come back. I think he's going to be really special this year and lead us to where we need to go."
The hope is for Watson to come back at 100% but also stay healthy. Entering his third season with the Browns, Watson has yet to play a full season under center, missing 11 games due to his suspension in his first year with Cleveland and only playing in six games last season due to his shoulder injury.
Patience will be an important part of the rehab process. Off days to allow recovery and diminish chances for setbacks while all the while ramping the quarterback up to be ready for Week 1.
As of now, that goal is being achieved and visualized as offseason workouts continue Thursday, with the second OTA session set to begin next week.
