The Browns’ Deshaun Watson won’t be playing in Week 8
In the Browns’ game against Seattle, veteran backup quarterback P.J. Walker will start at center, according to head coach Kevin Stefanski.
Regarding Deshaun Watson’s shoulder, Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski did not mince words this week.
The fourth-year head coach ruled Watson out of the team’s Week 8 game against the Seattle Seahawks prior to practice on Wednesday. Stefanski gave two reasons for the decision: “residual swelling” and the hit Watson received during the Colts game. Instead, the Browns signal caller will dedicate the entire week to shoulder rehabilitation.
Stefanski said, “P.J. [Walker] is going to start this week.” “Deshaun will concentrate on his rehabilitation. I simply get the impression that the impact he took throughout the game, landing on his shoulder, left some residual swelling that is affecting his throwing. I believe that resting this week and concentrating on his rehabilitation is what’s best for him.
The hit Stefanski referenced is the hard push Watson took in the first quarter of their matchup with Indianapolis this past weekend, that sent him falling backwards to the turf and slamming his head. The initial fear was that the 28-year-old signal caller had suffered a concussion, but NFL doctors cleared him of that during the game.
Still, Watson was withheld from returning to action, a move Stefanski took responsibility for, citing in an effort to protect star QB. It appears that is his intention once again, by ruling the former Texan out so early in the week.
I will always make what I think are the best decisions for our football team, for Deshaun,” Stefanski said. “And I feel like this is the right decision for this week.”
Despite concern over the forceful his Watson took in Indianapolis and the “residual swelling” that Stefanski mentioned, the Browns head man did clarify that an MRI this week showed no structural damage to Watson’s throwing shoulder.
Several detractors have questioned Watson’s toughness and “want to” play as the injury drama enters its fifth week. Following Brady’s remarks, a social media feud between Watson’s quarterback coach Quincy Avery and former Browns quarterback Brady Quinn surfaced on Tuesday.
Stefanski restated that Watson’s willingness to participate is unquestionable, just as the club has done throughout this process.
“He’s trying like crazy,” Stefanski said. “This is not for lack of effort. He’s making every effort he can to be out there, but with the hit he took and with the swelling, it makes the most sense to focus on rehab this week. He’ll be out there as soon as he’s ready.”
From the outside looking in, there are questions to be had about whether or not the team should have placed Watson on the IR from the outset of the injury following Week 3. For all intents and purposes, this will be Watson’s fourth missed game, which is the exact amount of contests a player would miss on short-term IR.
Stefanski explains that the team was acting on what they knew, which is why it didn’t happen.
The head coach of the Browns clarified, “We make decisions based on the information that we have every day.” “You’ve heard me say ‘day-to-day,’ and that’s just dependent on the player, his condition, the details surrounding the injury, and everything else.” All you’re doing is attempting to make the finest choice possible.”
For the first time, Watson discussed the problem in public before the Colts game, stating that rotator cuff injuries like the one he has often take four to six weeks to heal. He added that while recuperation times can differ, he and the team have been adopting a day-to-day approach.
