The Cleveland Browns announced on Wednesday that quarterback Deshaun Watson will undergo surgery on his right throwing shoulder and will miss the remainder of the 2023-24 NFL season. The Browns said Watson notified the medical staff about discomfort in his shoulder after he was hit in the first half of their Week 10 win.
Watson completed 20 of 34 passes for 213 yards, one score and an interception in the victory. He started slow in the first half, but completed 14 of 14 pass attempts in the second. The Browns said Watson had an MRI on his left ankle and shoulder Monday after their win over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday in Baltimore. MRI imagining revealed a high-ankle sprain – an injury he sustained previously – and a displaced fracture in Watson’s glenoid, a joint within his shoulder.
Browns general manager Andrew Berry told reporters at a news conference: “Obviously, we are very disappointed and devastated for Deshaun, especially given all that he has battled and gone through medically this season and in light of how well he has played since his most recent injury.”
In their statement, the Browns said: “Despite performing at a high level and finishing the game, after consultation with Browns’ head physician James Voos, and industry-leading shoulder specialist Neal ElAttrache, it has been determined that this injury will require immediate surgical repair to avoid further structural damage. Deshaun will be placed on season-ending injured reserve and a full recovery is expected for the start of the 2024 season.”
Watson signed a fully guaranteed $230 million contract with the Browns in 2022, the same year he was suspended for 11 games and fined $5 million for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy in relation to a massage therapist scandal.
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said Wednesday that Dorian Thompson-Robinson will start at quarterback in Week 11. Thompson-Robinson completed 54.1% of his throws for 130 yards and three interceptions in three games this season.
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