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Just as Shedeur Sanders is settling in as the Cleveland Browns quarterback, the one the team signed to a $230 million deal is back on the field for the first time in over a year.
Deshaun Watson tore his Achilles tendon on Oct. 20 of last year and did it again in January, pushing back his return even further.
But the Browns opened up Watson’s 21-day window to return on Wednesday, just as Sanders prepares for the third start of his NFL career.
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Quarterbacks Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson of the Cleveland Browns watch from the sideline during the fourth quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Huntington Bank Field on September 7, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Jason Miller/Getty Images)
“He’s been working so hard and rehabbing. So to finally get out there on the practice field with his teammates, go through individually, I think is really great for him,” coach Kevin Stefanski said. “Our focus is to activate this training window, see him on the practice field, get him into individual, things like that. He’s done everything that’s been asked of him. He’s been so supportive in the meeting room on the field with the players. Now he’s got to go and do it on the practice field.”
Watson is currently 9-10 as Cleveland’s starter. He has 19 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and a passer rating of 80.7. He is also unpopular with fans after the Browns sent five draft picks to Houston, including three first-round picks, and signed him to a fully guaranteed contract widely considered one of the worst in league history.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson in action during the NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Oct. 13, 2024, in Philadelphia. (Chris Szagola, File/AP Photo)
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If Watson is not activated from injured reserve in the window, he will officially miss the entire season.
The Browns “took a big swing and miss” with the trade, co-owner Jimmy Haslam said during league meetings in March, adding that “we’ve got to dig ourselves out of that hole.”
The Browns reworked Watson’s contract twice in three months this offseason in a bid for some financial flexibility.
Cleveland Browns’ Deshaun Watson walks off the field after an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys in Cleveland, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (Sue Ogrocki/AP Photo)
Watson is also under contract through the 2026 season as Dillon Gabriel is now Sanders’ backup. Sanders entered a Week 11 game after Gabriel suffered a concussion. Sanders started Week 12 while Gabriel was in the protocol, and after winning his first start, Sanders remained the starter even after Gabriel was cleared.
