Quarterback Deshaun Watson has explained his story regarding a mysterious shoulder injury.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson finally came out and explained the situation surrounding his shoulder injury. The $230 million quarterback has seen his 2023 season plagued with an injury. Watson missed the week four game against the Baltimore Ravens and then sat out against the San Francisco 49ers following Cleveland's bye week.
At the time, the Browns were awfully secretive with the media. NFL insiders hinted that Watson was fit to play. However, he continued to spend time on the sidelines. Moreover, Cleveland refused to make Watson available for post-practice interviews.
Last Sunday, the story took another bizarre turn. After three weeks on the sideline, Watson returned to the starting lineup. However, the veteran quarterback left the game with another injury. At the time, some speculated if it was a concussion. Cleveland confirmed it was not a concussion but a shoulder problem reoccurrence.
This week, the Browns confirmed that Watson would miss Sunday's game against the Seattle Seahawks due to the injury's flare-up. Fans and media pundits have hit out at Cleveland and Watson; some ex-players have questioned whether Watson wants to play.
Watson finally broke his media silence and provided his perspective. Watson said, "Why wouldn't I want to play? I've worked my ass off for two years to get back to playing, so why wouldn't I want to play?"
Watson confirmed he played through the pain barrier last week. "I wouldn't sit here and say I felt perfect on Friday. I was pushing through it because I'm a competitor. I felt like I had enough."
Watson continued, saying, "At the same time, I wasn't 100 per cent last week. So I try, like I said before, to go through the game, see if I can make the throws, and make the plays. I thought I was ready; wasn't ready."
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said he took Watson out of the game to protect the quarterback. One thing is for sure: this ongoing confusion will not go away. The Browns are 4-2 and are playing very well. But all the attention is fixed on a player who has not played a full game since September 24th. It could distract the team, and Watson's clarification may fuel the fire.