Cleveland Browns' Deshaun Watson gets full practice workload, on path to start vs. Colts
BEREA, Ohio — Deshaun Watson was on the field once again for a Cleveland Browns practice. All that's left for him is to be on the field for Sunday's game against the Indianapolis Colts, which he is on the path toward doing.
The Browns quarterback practiced for the second consecutive day Friday, taking virtually all of the first-team reps during the portion of practice open to the media. The Browns officially listed him as questionable on the game status report, along with tight end Harrison Bryant, Greg Newsome II and Kareem Hunt, while linebacker Sione Takitaki was ruled out due to a hamstring injury.
"I want to see how he responds over the next 48 hours based on that full workload that he just got," Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said after practice. "But he looked good today."
Asked if it was trending in the direction that Watson would start Sunday, Stefanski coyly said, "Those are your words."
What Stefanski did say was the scenario was not going to play out the way it had before a Week 4 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. The Browns spent all week saying they expected Watson to play in that game despite him having been limited all week in practice.
On game day, however, Watson was ruled out roughly three hours before kickoff after going through a 20-minute workout.
"We won't work him out," Stefanski said. "Just want to see how he responds, how his body responds to, again, a full workload today."
Friday's practice was held inside the Browns' field house, and most of the 20 minutes open to the media involved work close to the goal line. However, Watson — who was wearing a harness on his shoulder and a sleeve on his right arm — was first up for every drill and threw with noticeably more velocity than he did the day before.
Thursday was the first time Watson had participated in a practice since the Friday before the Ravens games. After a warmup period, he threw about two dozen passes — none further than 30 yards — during the roughly 20 minutes of practice open to the media.
P.J. Walker, who remains on the practice squad, has taken the first-team reps Watson was not able to take this week. Walker, a fourth-year pro, would start for the second consecutive game if Watson is unable to go against the Colts.
Walker started last Sunday's game against the previously unbeaten San Francisco 49ers. Despite going 18-for-34 passing for 192 yards with two interceptions, he led the Browns on two fourth-quarter field goal drives in a 19-17 win.
The 49ers game was the second game Watson missed due to the injury. He was ruled out of the Ravens game, with rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson getting the start in a 28-3 loss.
Thompson-Robinson, who was given the backup job on Aug. 24 when Joshua Dobbs was traded to the Arizona Cardinals, was 19-for-36 passing for 121 yards with three interceptions against Baltimore. He was taken in the fifth round of April's draft out of UCLA.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Deshaun Watson practices again for Browns, on path to start Sunday
