With skilled positions commanding eight-figure salaries, keeping and maintaining players’ health over their careers is a priority for NFL franchises.
As athletes start to rehab when injuries occur, a player’s doctor often will dictate when and how much workload the individual should be subjected to during the recovery process.
The Cleveland Browns – and many other professional teams – have introduced the practice of mental reps into fans’ lexicon.
A mental rep is a non-physical exercise where the player walks through a play, something stars like Deshaun Watson have recently exhibited during his recovery.
WEWS sports reporter Camryn Justice shared a video on Twitter this week of Watson going through these mental exercises during the team’s OTA workouts.
#Browns QB Deshaun Watson wasn't scheduled to throw today while he continues working through his shoulder rehab, but he was still there for walkthroughs and was taking mental reps behind Jameis Winston and Tyler Huntley during today's OTA session. pic.twitter.com/1Z1Q353TvS
— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) May 22, 2024
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski is a proponent of mental reps.
In a video shared on Twitter by analyst Scott Petrak after Wednesday’s session, Stefanski said that every player should be “locked” into the play, regardless of position.
“We don’t want to be passive observers out there on the football field if we are not in,” Stefanski said of players who are not actively participating in the drills.
#Browns coach Kevin Stefanski on value of mental reps for Deshaun Watson pic.twitter.com/XCqTGf6PAx
— Scott Petrak ct (@ScottPetrak) May 22, 2024
Stefanski specifically mentioned the running back position in addition to Watson during his remarks, meaning fans should expect similar activities as running back Nick Chubb continues to recover from his second major injury in the same knee.
This week, the Browns practice Tuesday through Thursday (May 28-30) before finishing up the voluntary portion of their OTAs the following week.
With Watson throwing every other day, there’s a chance the team will not showcase the quarterback’s recovery in front of the media before the mandatory sessions later in the month.
Until then, fans may have to settle for seeing their favorite players on the field walking through the offensive and defensive drills.
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