Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski announced Tuesday that Cleveland will not activate Watson from the physically unable to perform list, effectively ending his season.
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“He’s done a great job with everything that’s been asked of him,” Stefanski said of Watson, via ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi. “I’ve seen him work really hard, whether it’s in the training room, just inside with the coaches, on the practice field now down the stretch. I just felt like this was the right decision for him and for us. His focus is still going to be on helping this football team and continuing to get healthy and get stronger and all that type of stuff.”
Watson has been out of action since last season after rupturing his Achilles tendon midway through the year. He faced a setback when he ruptured his Achilles tendon again in early 2025, delaying his recovery.
It always seemed unlikely that Watson would see the field this season, especially after the Browns selected two quarterbacks, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Sanders has taken on a good role for Cleveland over the last five games and could be the Browns’ starting quarterback in 2026.
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Watson is still under contract through 2026, so if the Browns decide to keep him, there could be a quarterback competition to determine who will start next season.
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The post Browns Decide Deshaun Watson’s Game Status Ahead of Steelers Showdown appeared first on SportsNet Pittsburgh.