Week 3 of the NFL preseason is in full swing and each team has just one game left before a bye week and the season opener.
For the Cleveland Browns, there’s just one opportunity left for the team’s starters to get action. Will Deshaun Watson play?
Will Browns QB Deshaun Watson Play vs. the Seahawks?
Update 08/24/24: Although HC Kevin Stefanski suggested that Watson would see his first preseason action tonight, he ultimately decided to give the QB a bit more rest ahead of Week 1.
#Browns QB Deshaun Watson will not play tonight against the #Seahawks, as the focus shifts to the beginning of the regular season. Watson missed time this week because of arm soreness, but did a full practice on Thursday.
He’ll be ready for Week 1. pic.twitter.com/hj5QZHkYfq
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet)
While the Browns have had two opportunities to see Watson play this preseason, he hasn’t taken a snap. However, that will change in Week 3, with Watson and the rest of the team’s starters set to play.
According to head coach Kevin Stefanski, all available first-team players will see varying amounts of playing time with the intention of preparing their minds and bodies for the season.
Earlier this week, Watson was dealing with soreness in his arm that left his status uncertain. He was held out of practice late in the week as a result.
With Watson set to play, it will be his first snap of not only the preseason, but since Week 10 of the 2023 regular season. In addition to a shoulder injury that limited him early in the 2023 campaign, Watson suffered a different shoulder injury in Week 7 that ended up ending his season three games later.
In his shortened season, Watson threw for 1,115 yards, seven touchdowns, and four interceptions. His last full season was in 2020, when he was still with the Houston Texans. That year, he threw for 4,823 yards, 33 touchdowns, and seven interceptions.
Whenever Watson inevitably leaves Saturday’s game, he will be replaced by Jameis Winston. In minimal action, the 2015 first overall pick of the Buccaneers has thrown for 30 yards this preseason. Winston joined the Browns via free agency this offseason on a one-year, $4 million deal. He was most recently with the New Orleans Saints
Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who’s entering his sophomore NFL campaign, will handle the reminder of the game as the team’s third-string quarterback. Through two preseason games, he’s thrown for 260 yards, zero touchdowns, and one interception.
