BEREA, Ohio — The Cleveland Browns officially designated quarterback Deshaun Watson to return to practice Wednesday, clearing him from the physically unable to perform list and marking a major milestone in his recovery from a torn Achilles.
Watson, 30, has not played since suffering a season-ending rupture of his right Achilles tendon in October 2024. He required a second surgery in January after re-tearing the tendon, and the team had already ruled him out for a significant portion of the 2025 season.
The move opens a 21-day window during which Watson can practice. He will be limited Wednesday and begin with individual drills, with head coach Kevin Stefanski noting that scout-team reps could follow soon.
“Our focus—and his focus—is simply getting him back on the field doing football activities, which he hasn’t done in over a year,” Stefanski said. “This is a positive next step.”
At the end of the 21-day period, Cleveland must either activate Watson to the 53-man roster or shut him down for the rest of the season.
Since the Browns acquired him in a blockbuster 2022 trade that cost three first-round picks and a fully guaranteed $230 million contract, Watson has appeared in only 19 games due to an 11-game suspension and multiple major injuries (shoulder surgery in 2023 and the Achilles issue). His 33.1 Total QBR since joining Cleveland would rank dead last among qualified quarterbacks this season.
Owner Jimmy Haslam publicly labeled the trade a “big swing-and-miss” earlier this year. Watson is still owed $46 million in 2026 and carries an NFL-high $80.7 million cap hit that season.
In Watson’s absence, the Browns have completely turned over the quarterback room. Joe Flacco and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders have all started this year, with fifth-round pick Sanders set to make his third consecutive start Sunday against the Titans.
