Jun 12, 2025; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) works out during mini camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Recovery Timeline Revealed For Embattled Browns QB Deshaun Watson

Originally posted on Cleveland Browns on SI
By Spencer German | Last updated Jun 30, 2025 8:00 AM ET

The Cleveland Browns already have four quarterbacks competing for the starting job. A fifth may be involved soon enough.

Working his way back from a ruptured Achilles, quarterback Deshaun Watson has been very present at the Browns team facility in Berea this spring, even throwing passes inside the field house. Watson is still expected to miss the majority of the 2025 season recovering from the ailment, but now, more details about his timeline have been revealed.

According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, Cleveland is expected to place Watson on the reserve/physically unable to perform list at the end of training camp. That designation would mean he has to miss at least the first four games of the regular season.

After that, Watson would have a five-week window where he can start practicing with the team again and once he does, another 21-day window where he must be activated to the active roster or he'd simply revert back to the PUP list for the remainder of the season.

All that said, the Browns would want Watson to be totally cleared to play by doctors before even considering activating him to the active roster. The expectation is that they'll be extremely patient with his timeline and won't rush him back on the field before he's ready, if at all.

The presence of the four current quarterbacks, Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel, complicates his return even further. Assuming the Browns only keep three signal callers, adding Watson into the mix mid-season would mean creating room on the roster to house four instead.

Granted, injuries could always come into play as the season unfolds and perhaps would open the door for the former first-round pick to at least serve in a backup role on game days.

Ultimately, there is still a long way to go before the Browns even have to cross that bridge. Right now, it seems unlikely that Watson will see the field at all in 2025. In the meantime, he's making the most of his time around the team and with his fellow QBs.

This article first appeared on Cleveland Browns on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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