As Deshaun Watson tries to make his case to regain his job as the Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback, a lot has been made of his ability to return after suffering two tears of his Achilles tendon since October 2024. About to turn 31 years old, there is a justified doubt that he can rebound from that kind of debilitating injury and be the same type of player he once was.
Almost as important, but rarely discussed, is the status of Watson’s throwing shoulder, which ended his 2023 season and required surgery to repair a displaced fracture of his glenoid. For a quarterback who relied so much on the deep ball, that was a potentially more devastating setback.
Now, almost three years removed from that circumstance, Watson may finally at last be fully healthy. At Cleveland’s recent organized team activities (OTAs), the veteran has been impressive operating the downfield passing game preferred by head coach Todd Monken, which has given him an edge over Shedeur Sanders in their ongoing competition.
Insider Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN has noted a big change in Watson, claiming that the QB is finally able to trust his shoulder.
“That is the one thing that I’ll say has been different to my eyes this time around. He’s pushing the downfield and it seems like he may be trusting the shoulder a little bit more,” Oyefusi said.
"That is the one thing that I'll say has been different to my eyes this time around. He's pushing the downfield and it seems like he may be trusting the shoulder a little bit more."
🚨 @DanielOyefusi w/ @earldapearl_216 and @Spencito_ on #Browns QB Deshaun Watson, competition… pic.twitter.com/j0rSuBO1Dx
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) May 30, 2026
After being sidelined by the shoulder injury in November 2023, Watson returned to make seven starts for Cleveland in 2024. But he did not look anything like the QB he used to be in his heyday with the Houston Texans, or even in his first two seasons with the Browns after he arrived in a 2022 trade.
In 2024, his air yards per attempt was a career-low 5.2, and his yards per completion was just 8.4. His passing yards per game fell to 164.0, compared to his career high of 301.4 in 2020.
Those who are skeptical of Watson’s potential return to the field as the Browns’ starter may be overlooking the effect his shoulder injury had on him. All of the time he has missed recently, including sitting out the entire 2025 season, may be paying off for him now.
If Watson can show that he can get the ball downfield successfully, that could clinch the job for him before training camp begins in July.
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