As the Cleveland Browns come out of their Week 9 bye sitting at 2-6 and last place in the AFC North, the front office is met with a new decision at the NFL‘s most dissected position — quarterback.
Deshaun Watson, on the reserve/PUP list while rehabbing a right Achilles tear suffered in October 2024 (and then re-ruptured during rehab), is reportedly undergoing medical “rechecks” that must be passed before the Browns can open his 21-day practice window.
Mary Kay Cabot — the team’s longtime Cleveland.com beat reporter — told the “Orange and Brown Talk” podcast on Tuesday that the team can start that 21-day clock any time after Watson clears exams, but that Watson has not yet passed those tests.
“There is no deadline where by—they have to have this done by November 24, or something like that,” Cabot said. “They can open the practice window at any time, and it is a 21-day window in which they can activate him at any point. And if they don’t, then he remains on reserve PUP for the rest of the season.”
“We don’t know when they are going to activate him or open his 21-day practice window,” Cabot added. “I will say, just so people understand, it can happen at any time.”
That medical fog only further complicates the Browns’ (highly-criticized) handling of rookie fifth-round draft pick Shedeur Sanders, the former Colorado star who has yet to log a regular-season snap.
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Coach Kevin Stefanski, asked on Monday about opening Watson’s practice window, said there was no update and indicated it wasn’t going to happen “this week,” effectively keeping the decision in the team’s medical and front-office hands for now.
Meanwhile, fans and analysts alike have publicly criticized the Cleveland’s handling of Sanders, urging the team to give him a real shot at starting as Dillon Gabriel continues to struggle.
Instead, the rookie’s continued backup role only fueled trade speculation, with several reports linking him to possible moves for future assets ahead of Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline.
However, with the deadline now over, there’s at least some belief that the Browns intend to give Sanders more of an opportunity going forward, which makes the upcoming decision around Watson even more consequential.
That said, until Watson either clears medical tests and the Browns open his 21-day window, or the team commits to giving Sanders meaningful snaps, the Browns’ future at quarterback remains uncertain.