Deshaun Watson's next press conference could be interesting
Much has been said about Deshaun Watson since we last saw him play. Nothing has been said by Watson himself.
It will be very interesting to hear from him, given the mixed signals coming from the team regarding his failure to play in Week 4 against the Ravens. After that game, the team called it a "collective decision." In subsequent remarks, coach Kevin Stefanski said Watson had been "medically cleared" but decided not to play. G.M. Andrew Berry later made it sound more like a truly collective decision by player and team, and not the player deciding on his own that he shouldn't play.
Stefanski’s praise of tight end David Njoku for playing against Baltimore two days after suffering burns to his face and hand created a fascinating contrast.
Watson's voice has not been heard during this process. He did not speak to reporters on Wednesday. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reports that Watson also is not scheduled to talk to reporters today.
He surely will be asked why he didn't play, and whether the decision was his alone or "collective." He might (and should) be asked about the perception created by Stefanski's comments.
Watson also could be asked more pointed questions, such as why he wasn't willing to give it a try at some reduced percentage of capacity, especially in light of the magnitude of his contract. (Really, wouldn't 80 percent of Deshaun be better than 100 percent of his backup?) Also, there's a sense that began making the rounds not long after the Ravens game ended that some players were dismayed by Watson not playing, especially after he insisted in the days prior to the game that he would play.
Again, he was medically cleared. For many injured players, medical clearance is all they want or need. If they're less than 100 percent, so be it. They'll still play.
Watson has enjoyed the full support of the Browns since the controversial trade and even more controversial contract he received when arriving in Cleveland. For the first time, something seems off — both as to the public comments from Stefanski and the private chatter from teammates.
That makes the next Watson press conference, whenever it might happen, must-see TV. It also could prompt the Browns and Watson to delay that interaction as long as possible.
