The Cleveland Browns began preparations for their Week 9 game against the New Orleans Saints, expecting Deshaun Watson to be their starting quarterback, as usual. But after experiencing symptoms, he was placed in the NFL concussion protocol, which abruptly changed those plans.
It looked like Watson would be out and Shedeur Sanders would be called on to make his first start of the season. But those plans may be changing again.
According to insider Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, the Browns have gotten a surprising injury update on Watson, who was back at practice on Friday.
“Deshaun Watson returns to practice after missing 2 days with his concussion,” Cabot posted.
#Browns Deshaun Watson returns to practice after missing 2 days with his concussion pic.twitter.com/6JxhW5TCaz
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) November 6, 2026
This does not necessarily mean that Watson will clear protocol in time to play against the Saints. But he has recovered enough to take part in workouts, and the evaluations of him coming out of those will determine his status for the game on Sunday.
Watson took a helmet-to-helmet hit in the first quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers last Sunday. He left the game briefly but was cleared to return and took every snap from there.
The Browns explained his situation with a statement on Wednesday. In part, it said, “As part of the protocol, the team’s medical staff evaluated him again postgame and Monday morning. Both times he showed no symptoms, passed his evaluations, and was cleared. On Tuesday morning, he reported to the medical staff that he began experiencing concussion symptoms Monday night and was immediately placed in the concussion protocol.”
With this practice appearance, Watson seems to already be in Phase 4 of the NFL’s five-step return-to-play process. After taking part in non-contact practice drills, such as throwing/running, and team meetings, Watson’s testing must return to its baseline. He would need to take part in a full-contact practice and normal team activities to be cleared.
The after-practice update and final injury report will provide the outlook for Sunday, but it now looks like Watson may have a good chance to play for Cleveland when it visits New Orleans.
NEXT: Ian Rapoport Reveals Deshaun Watson’s Status For Sunday
