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Just as Shedeur Sanders is settling in as the Cleveland Browns quarterback, the signal-caller the team signed to a $230 million deal is back on the field for the first time in over a year.
Deshaun Watson tore his Achilles tendon Oct. 20, 2024, and did so again in January, delaying his return.
But the Browns opened Watson’s 21-day window to return Wednesday, just as Sanders is prepping for the third start of his NFL career.
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Quarterbacks Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson of the Cleveland Browns watch from the sideline during the fourth quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Huntington Bank Field Sept. 7, 2025, in Cleveland. (Jason Miller/Getty Images)
“He’s been working so hard, rehabbing. So, finally, to get out there on the practice field with his teammates, go through individual, I think is really great for him,” Coach Kevin Stefanski said. “Our focus is activating this practice window, seeing him on the practice field, getting him into individual, those type of things. He’s done everything that’s asked of him. He’s been so supportive in the meeting room on the game field with the players. Now he gets to go do that on the practice field.”
Watson is 9-10 as Cleveland’s starter. He has 19 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and a passer rating of 80.7. He’s also unpopular among fans after the Browns sent five draft picks to Houston, including three first-round selections, and signed him to a fully guaranteed contract widely regarded as one of the worst in league history.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson against the Philadelphia Eagles Oct. 13, 2024, in Philadelphia. (Chris Szagola, File/AP Photo)
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If Watson is not activated from injured reserve in the window, he will miss the entire season.
The Browns “took a big swing and miss” with the trade, co-owner Jimmy Haslam said during league meetings in March, adding, “We’ve got to dig ourselves out of that hole.”
The Browns have reworked Watson’s contract twice in three months during the offseason in a bid for some financial flexibility.
The Cleveland Browns’ Deshaun Watson walks off the field after a game against the Dallas Cowboys in Cleveland Sept. 8, 2024. (Sue Ogrocki/AP Photo)
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Watson is under contract for the 2026 season, and Dillon Gabriel is Sanders’ backup. Sanders entered a Week 11 game after Gabriel sustained a concussion. Sanders started Week 12 while Gabriel was in the protocol, and after winning his first start, Sanders remained the starter even after Gabriel was cleared to play.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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