Deshaun Watson vehemently dismissed the idea that he’s choosing not to play in the wake of another shoulder injury.
The Cleveland Browns quarterback will miss his third game of the season in Week 7 a week after he left in the first quarter of Week 6. When he heard rumblings and questions about his injury, though, Watson was quick to deny those who questioned his commitment to the Browns.
“Why wouldn’t I want to play?” he told reporters Thursday. “I’ve worked my a– off for two years to get back to playing, so why wouldn’t I want to play. This is what I’ve been doing since I was six years old. I see all the same things. I see all the narratives, this and that.
“All of that stuff is just trying to cause controversy and commotion. I’m fine. I’m happy. I’m not happy with the injury. I’m in a great space mentally. I’m in a great space spiritually.”
Questions about Watson’s health and why he’s missed so much time this season swirled after the Browns quickly ruled him out this week against the Seattle Seahawks. Head coach Kevin Stefanski said Watson was dealing with “residual swelling,” while Yahoo Sports’ Jori Epstein reported the quarterback as having “physical discomfort” in his throwing shoulder. ESPN’s Adam Schefter added that the quarterback reportedly has “a strain of the subscapularis within the rotator cuff” that could sideline Watson for multiple weeks.
Watson added that he didn’t know what his timetable for return would be after he hurt his shoulder in Week 6. That will depend on more tests and the advice of doctors and his couches.
But one thing Watson said he did know: He rushed himself back.
“Right now, we’re not in a space where I should be out there,” Watson said Thursday, via ESPN. “I’m trying to get to a percentage where I can go out there and be very, very beneficial for the team.”
“I thought I was ready. I wasn’t ready. … I just didn’t have the strength and things like that to be able to go out there and play a full, complete game.”
Before the injury, Watson completed just one of his five passing attempts for five yards and one interception in four possessions. Watson left the game in the first quarter after he landed on his shoulder following a big hit. P.J. Walker took over and led the Browns to a 39-38 win over the Indianapolis Colts.
#Browns Deshaun Watson dismisses the notion that he might not want to play right now pic.twitter.com/7ue4LuFYVH
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) October 26, 2023
