Browns QB Coach Gives Promising Update on Potential Comeback of Deshaun Watson
The Cleveland Browns could soon welcome back quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Watson has been rehabbing from a torn Achilles and has been sharing training videos. As he gets closer to a return, the veteran quarterback has been in the building helping mentor the rookie quarterbacks.
Yet, as Dillon Gabriel is set for his third-straight start, Browns QB coach Bill Musgrave said Watson has been in every position meeting and is engaged on the sideline during home games. Musgrave also believes Watson has plenty left in the tank and will start games in the NFL again.
“He feels like he has a lot of tread left on his tire,” Musgrave said about Watson.
If Watson can come back this season, it will be intriguing to see what the Browns do with him. But Musgrave has been impressed with what Watson has been doing off the field to get ready for once he is cleared to return.
Watson last played in Week 7 of the 2024 NFL season when he suffered an injury against the Cincinnati Bengals. The veteran quarterback has one year left on his five-year, $230 million deal he signed with the Browns after the blockbuster trade.
Watson is ‘Working Very Hard’ to Return
As Watson has been rehabbing, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski has been impressed with his work ethic.
Although Watson has yet to have his practice window opened, Stefanski has high praise for the veteran quarterback and how hard he’s working to come back.
“I know we haven’t seen him as part of the throwing process with the team and those types of things,” Stefanski said of Watson. “But he’s working very hard.”
When asked if Watson would return this season, Stefanski shut down the question.
“I understand the question, but I’m so focused on this week,” he said.
Before the season started, Watson sent out a message saying he would be better than before.
“Everyone is doubting me, everyone don’t believe in me,” Watson said in the video. “Everyone don’t think I can get back to where I was. But I know, and I believe the work that I put in, that I believe in myself… I know, I’m gonna be way better than before.”
Browns Owner Admits Watson Trade Was a Failure
Cleveland made a bold move to acquire Watson from the Houston Texans, but it hasn’t worked out.
Watson has dealt with injuries and poor play. Ahead of the 2025 NFL season, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam admitted the team took a swing-and-a-miss in dealing for Watson.
“We thought we had the quarterback, we didn’t and we gave up a lot of draft picks to get him. So we’ve got to dig ourselves out of that hole,” Haslam said. “Listen, I’ve said this I think numerous times, Deshaun Watson was an entire organization decision and it ends with (co-owner) Dee (Haslam) and I, so hold us accountable.”
Watson still has one more year left on his contract, so perhaps he can show something if he does return from the injury.
But for now, the Browns are going with Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders as their quarterbacks.
Breaking News: Denver Broncos Make Shocking, Timely Signing Just Before Preseason Clash Against Cardinals – A Game-Changer for Their 2025 Season
As the preseason continues, the Denver Broncos have had no shortage of injury scares. The most notable one from this week stemmed from offensive tackle Garrett Bolles leaving practice, but things are settling on that front. An underlying issue in the secondary has flown under the radar, though.
Luckily, general manager George Paton is working to rectify the situation. Denver is adding to its defensive backfield ahead of Saturday’s preseason contest against the Arizona Cardinals.
Broncos Sign CB Micah Abraham Ahead of Second Preseason Game
Per the Broncos, they signed cornerback Micah Abraham to the roster on Friday. This transaction comes in the aftermath of injuries to fellow corners Reese Taylor and Gregory Junior. In a corresponding move to make room for Abraham on the 90-man allotment, Junior was waived with an injury designation.
Abraham was a sixth-round selection by the Indianapolis Colts in the 2024 NFL Draft. Unfortunately, he ultimately got waived last August and latched on with the Cincinnati Bengals‘ practice squad for a while. After that, he spent some time with the St. Louis Battlehawks of the UFL and is now back in the NFL with the Broncos.
In five collegiate seasons at Marshall, Abraham, racked up 150 tackles, 43 passes broken up and 12 interceptions. He led the Sun Belt Conference in picks in both 2022 and 2023, pacing the field for passes defended in the latter campaign. The 24-year-old is listed at 5-foot-10, 185 pounds and has yet to appear in a regular-season NFL game.
A former sixth-round pick, Junior spent his first two seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars. In 10 regular-season games, he played 222 combined snaps between defense and special teams while recording 17 combined tackles (2 for loss). He’s since been with Indianapolis, the Houston Texans and Green Bay Packers before briefly joining Denver on August 10.
Taylor, 25, appeared in one game for the Broncos last season. He played 13 special teams snaps in Week 15’s victory over the Colts. The former Indiana and Purdue standout first joined the organization in 2023 on a practice squad basis and has mainly stuck around there.
How Much Will Denver’s Starters Play Against Cardinals on Saturday?
The injuries to Junior and Taylor left the Broncos with some snaps to fill in the secondary. Entering Saturday’s game, Abraham will compete with defensive backs like Jaden Robinson, Joshua Pickett and others for reps if he’s active. Head coach Sean Payton’s plans for playing time could spell good things for the depth of his roster.
Earlier this week, Payton revealed that many of his starters won’t play against Arizona. First-stringers like quarterback Bo Nix and cornerback Patrick Surtain II will watch from the sideline as the rest of the roster battles it out.
“We’re going to feature really two phases.” Payton said. “The twos – and when I say the twos, don’t read into [that label]. Basically. there’s going to be a group in the first half and a group in the second half. But your front line, O-line, D-line, QB, corner, receiver, I’m going to sit those guys, only because of the uniqueness of two of these [joint practices] in a week’s time frame.”
Payton’s crew will look to get and stay healthy as Week 1 approaches. In the meantime, perhaps a newcomer can make an impact.
