Deshaun Watson has made it clear that health is no longer the obstacle standing between him and a return to form with the Cleveland Browns, but throwing six interceptions in four practices might present a problem.
Watson, who has not appeared in a regular-season game since tearing his Achilles tendon in October 2024, says he feels strong and is focused on rebuilding the kind of football conditioning that only comes from consistent work on the field.
Watson is currently locked in a competition with Shedeur Sanders for the starting job after missing all of last season. He has emphasized that the biggest challenge right now is simply regaining the endurance required for full-speed 11-on-11 work.
“I feel really good. I feel healthy,” Watson said. “I’ve just got to continue to build that football shape. I think that’s the biggest thing I’m working on through this process each day, just trying to build that endurance, build that football shape, because it’s been a while since I’ve really been on the field with 11-on-11.”
His injury history runs deeper than the Achilles issue. Watson underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in 2023 and has admitted he was still far from comfortable when he returned the following year.
Looking back, he noted that he was only seven or eight months removed from the shoulder procedure when he tried to play in 2024. The pressure of a large investment from the organization, he said, left little room for excuses even when he was not fully recovered.
Despite those assurances about his physical condition, the early days of training camp have not been smooth. Through the first four practices, Watson has thrown six interceptions, including three on Saturday alone.
His opening sessions featured a string of inaccurate throws, floating passes, and turnovers while working with the first-team offense as the Browns install Todd Monken’s system.
The interceptions have intensified the spotlight on him as he tries to hold off Sanders, who started seven games a year ago.
Considering that Sanders was the start for a good chunk of last season, Watson may have difficulty beating him out for the job if his training camp struggles continue.
To be fair, Watson has not played in a game in nearly two years, so perhaps the former Houston Texans star merely needs to shake off some rust. But how much time does he have?
Monken surely wants to put his fingerprints on Cleveland’s offense, and he may not want to proceed forward with an interception-prone signal-caller.
Watson still has plenty of training camp to right the ship, but it remains to be seen if he is actually capable of doing so at this stage.
