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As Shedeur Sanders settles in as the Cleveland Browns’ quarterback, the man the team signed to a $230 million contract is back on the field for the first time in more than a year.
Deshaun Watson tore his Achilles tendon on October 20 of last year and did it again this past January, pushing back his return even further.
But the Browns opened Watson’s 21-day window to return Wednesday, just as Sanders prepares for the third start of his NFL career.
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Cleveland Browns quarterbacks Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson watch from the sidelines 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 really hard and rehabbing. So to finally be able to practice on the field with his teammates and go through the individual event, I think it’s really great for him,” coach Kevin Stefanski said. “Our goal is to activate this training window, see him on the training pitch, get him in individually, that sort of thing. He’s done everything we’ve asked of him. He’s been very supportive in the meeting room on the playing field with the players. Now he can go and do it on the training pitch.”
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 among fans after the Browns sent five draft picks to Houston, including three first-round selections, 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 October 13, 2024, in Philadelphia. (Chris Szagola, AP file/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 hit and missed” the trade, co-owner Jimmy Haslam said at league meetings in March, adding that “we have to dig ourselves out of this hole.”
The Browns reworked Watson’s contract twice in three months during the offseason in an attempt to gain some financial flexibility.
Deshaun Watson of the Cleveland Browns leaves the field after an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys in Cleveland, Sunday, September 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 protocol, and after winning his first start, Sanders remained the starter even after Gabriel was cleared.
