BEREA, Ohio — Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson returned to practice Thursday after being limited and sidelined since the game against the Titans—a step in the right direction for his rehab process as he works through his shoulder injury.
After sustaining a rotator cuff contusion that has been determined to be a strain with micro-tearing, Watson was limited the week of the Ravens game, only taking a few passes and primarily running mental reps behind rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
Watson entered the bye with a shoulder injury and, upon the return from the week off, was not on the practice fields at all, working on medical rehab inside with some gradual light throwing incorporated.
Through the process, Watson has been trying to remain patient and let his injury heal, with the team saying he's been making progress each day.
On Thursday, that progress resulted in Watson's return to the fields in Berea on Thursday.
The quarterback was able to do some handoff drills with the running backs and get some reps in individual drills before the receivers came over to join the work. Watson was smiling through the practice session, seeming to feel good as he ramped up his work.
While P.J. Walker and Dorian-Thompson Robinson took the majority of the reps during the portion of practice open to media, Watson got some solid work in. From short passing routes to a few deep balls, Watson put his shoulder to the test on Thursday.
"Ramping him up, getting him ready, getting him back. So we'll see how it goes today, but excited to get him back out on the field. I know he's excited," said offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt.
As Watson works to get the range of motion in his shoulder back to full-go, he's also looking to be able to put zip on his passes, which he's been unable to do with the swelling and impact from the rotator cuff strain.
Watson's passes during the open portion of practice didn't seem to have the kind of power behind them as he normally shows, but it was early into the day of work, and Watson had some getting used to being back throwing to his team.
He also participated in the practice without any visible medical equipment like a brace or extra padding. The first week he dealt with the injury, he was using kinesiology tape, but Watson wore long sleeves on Thursday, so if he was using it again, it was unable to be seen.
The Browns haven't ruled Watson out for Sunday's game, with the decision still up in the air as they monitor him and his progress through practice Thursday and into the game. Having Walker and Thompson-Robinson take the majority of the reps allows them to be ready for the Colts if Watson is ruled out for his third game.
Should Watson be ready to go on Sunday, however, his teammates would be thrilled to have him back on game day.
"It'd be a huge boost. Deshaun is our guy. At the end of the day, we all know who Deshaun is. We've seen all the plays that he's been able to make throughout his career. It's just like any other team; you’re confident when your starting guy is in the lineup 100%. So it'll be a huge boost," Cooper said.
