Deshaun Watson went down with a shoulder injury in Week 3 and has missed the Cleveland Browns‘ subsequent two games — despite the fact that the club had a Week 4 bye, giving him extra time to recover.
Watson spoke to the media on Wednesday, offering an update on an injury that appears to be more severe than originally thought. Will he be able to suit up against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 7?
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Deshaun Watson Injury Update
Asked if there’s a chance he can play on Sunday, Watson suggested his status was still murky but sounded significantly more positive about his injury than he had in the past.
“I think so,” Watson said. “It just depends on the process of the medical stuff and the treatment and the rehab that we’re doing day to day. It’s up in the air for sure.”
The Browns announced that Watson will not practice on Wednesday. However, Watson did participate on Thursday, marking the quarterback’s first practice since Sept. 22.
Watson practiced again on Friday. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com said Watson “looks like a go” for Week 7, noting the “good zip” the veteran quarterback put on his passes today.
The Browns officially listed Watson as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Colts, but head coach Kevin Stefanski expects him to play.
Watson referred to his shoulder injury — which had been labeled a “contusion” — as a rotator cuff “strain” or “micro tear.” He indicated the injury is typically viewed as a four-to-six-week issue but said he doesn’t have a solidified return timetable.
MORE: Cleveland Browns Depth Chart 2023
“It could be any day. It could be tomorrow, it could be Sunday, it could be two weeks from now. I can’t put a timeline on anything right now.”
If Watson can’t suit up, P.J. Walker — who helped lead the Browns to a Week 6 win over the previously undefeated San Francisco 49ers — would receive another start.
“The arrow’s been trending up,” Watson said. “Each and every day, we’re just trying to get better and better and get as comfortable as possible.”
Fantasy Fallout From Watson’s Injury
After surprisingly little information on Watson’s shoulder, we now know much more. Reading between the lines, it doesn’t sound as if Watson is going to play this week, which would mean another week of Walker under center.
The Browns were able to upset the 49ers last week with Walker, but let’s not pretend like he played particularly well. He threw for 192 scoreless yards and two interceptions.
Amari Cooper got by last week on the heels of one long reception. He may not be so lucky this week.
Walker starting makes Cooper a shaky WR3 and every other non-Jerome Ford Brown unstartable. The biggest fantasy impact here is that the Colts’ defense now becomes a viable streaming option.
— PFN Fantasy Analyst Jason Katz