Cleveland Browns QB Deshaun Watson out rest of season with shoulder injury

BEREA — Deshaun Watson's season is over for the Browns just after arguably his best performance with the team.

The Browns announced Watson will undergo season-ending surgery on his right throwing shoulder to avoid further structural damage. An MRI on Monday revealed he had suffered what the team called in a statement a "displaced fracture to the glenoid."

Watson said on Wednesday the surgery will occur "sometime next week, if I'm not mistaken." The surgery will be performed by Kerlan-Jobe Institute’s Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who was help originally diagnose the issue with Browns team physician Dr. James Voos, in Los Angeles.

"The good news is, we expect the surgery to go well and for him to be ready for the 2024 season," general manager Andrew Berry said. "Obviously we are very disappointed and devastated for Deshaun, especially given all that he has battled and gone through medically this season. Especially in light of how well he's played since his most recent injury."

Berry said Wednesday morning the injury was a new one not related to a rotator cuff strain in that shoulder he suffered in Week 3 against Tennessee. Both Berry and Watson said Wednesday they believe it occurred during the first half of Sunday's win at the Baltimore Ravens, although there was some discrepancy about exactly when.

Watson indicated he thought it may have happened in the first quarter. Berry, though, thought it was the second, although he acknowledged he didn't know for certain.

"I have no idea," Watson said of the exact hit which caused the injury. "I'm not even sure. We've been trying to figure that out, too, the last couple days, and it could have been any one of those hits at the time. Like I said, I was of course feeling something, but in the midst of a game and with everything going on, I was just trying to lock in on the next play to try to get the victory."

Rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson will start at quarterback when the Browns (6-3) play host to the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3) in a key AFC North game, coach Kevin Stefanski said Wednesday. Thompson-Robinson did start once before, in Week 4 against the Ravens, when Watson was ruled out roughly two hours before the game due to the original shoulder injury.

Fourth-year pro P.J. Walker was elevated to the backup job after a Week 5 bye and started a Week 6 win over San Francisco and a Week 8 loss at Seattle. He also came in after Watson left a Week 7 win at the Indianapolis Colts with 3:04 remaining in the first quarter.

Berry said a third quarterback will be added to the roster.

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"We're always open to anything that helps improve the team," Berry said. "We do believe in carrying three quarterbacks between the active and the practice squad and what that distribution looks like really depends on the player. So the one thing I will share is that we will add a quarterback at some point in the near future."

The new shoulder injury was a stunning revelation as it was not brought up at all in the immediate aftermath of the win in Baltimore. At that time, the injury of concern was to Watson's left ankle, which was in a walking boot as he left the stadium after the game.

The MRI Watson had on the ankle revealed a high-ankle sprain. The second MRI revealed the shoulder injury, which he had first brought to the attention of the Browns medical staff after the game.

"It's really hard to say," Watson said of when he first noticed the shoulder issue. "I mean, I felt something pretty much throughout, towards the end of the first quarter. Then at halftime, I kind of recognized something was wrong, but during the midst of the game, I was just pushing through whatever I was feeling. Then after the game, and Monday and Tuesday, we got testing done and that's when I found out from the doctors that it was something worse than what we thought it was."

Watson played a near-flawless second half against the Ravens despite the injuries. He completed all 14 passes over the final two quarters for 134 yards and a touchdown.

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That was in stark contrast to his first-half performance, even before suffering the ankle injury. Watson was 6-of-20 passing for 79 yards, an interception — which Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton returned for a touchdown on the second play of the game — and a 22.7 passer rating in the first half.

Watson finished 20-of-34 passing for 213 yards with a touchdown, an interception and a 74.8 passer rating. He ran eight times for 37 yards, not counting a 2-point conversion that pulled the Browns within 24-17 late in the third quarter.

Watson also finished out the Titans game, but didn't play a full game again until a win over the Arizona Cardinals on Nov. 5. He tried to play in Week 7 at the Indianapolis Colts, but left with 3:04 remaining in the first quarter after being knocked down by Colts defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo.

Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on Twitter at @ceasterlingABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Deshaun Watson out rest of season for Browns with shoulder injury