BEREA, Ohio — Browns coach Kevin Stefanski remains confident Deshaun Watson will bounce back from a season-ending shoulder injury that limited him in 2023 and be the elite quarterback Cleveland mortgaged its future to get.
Watson made just six starts this season before undergoing shoulder surgery in November.
Although the 28-year-old QB hasn't consistently played at an elite level — and in just 12 of 34 possible games in two seasons — since joining the Browns, Stefanski feels Watson's best is yet to come.
“We all know what he's capable of and we're excited about the future,” Stefanski said Sunday, a day after the Browns' season ended with a 45-14 drubbing against the Houston Texans in the wild-card round.
Watson watched from the sideline in Houston as Texans rookie QB C.J. Stroud threw three touchdowns in the first half against Cleveland's top-ranked defense.
Watson has spent much of the past two months rehabbing his shoulder, which he injured while leading the Browns to a stunning road win at Baltimore in Week 10. Watson fractured the glenoid bone in his right (throwing) shoulder in the first half, but stayed in the game and completed all 14 passes after halftime.
Stefanski said Watson has made progress and anticipates him being ready for mini-camp.
“I’m confident he’ll be ready to roll this spring,” Stefanski said. "He’s champing at the bit, but he’s doing everything he’s supposed to do when it comes to what the doctors are telling him as he rehabs through this, but he’ll be ready to roll.”
The Browns traded three-first round draft picks in March 2022 to the Texans for Watson, and then signed him to a record $230 million fully guaranteed contact.
Cleveland was hit hard by injuries all season — especially at quarterback.
After Watson went down, the Browns signed free agent Joe Flacco. The 38-year-old Super Bowl 47 MVP had a storybook run over the final month, going 4-1 in five starts and leading the NFL in yards passing and touchdowns in that span while carrying the Browns into the playoffs.
However, Flacco's feel-good comeback came to an abrupt ending Saturday as he threw a pair of pick-6s in the third quarter, sending the Browns (11-7) to their most lopsided playoff road loss since 1968.
Flacco, who turns 39 on Tuesday, is back on the street but Stefanski would not say if he'll push Cleveland's front office to bring him back.
"Joe was awesome for this football team,” Stefanski said. ”He did a great job, battled like crazy. I know he enjoyed it. We obviously wish the outcome was different, but have a ton of respect for Joe and what he was able to.”'
Flacco had a major impact in his short time with the Browns, and several players said they would like to see him back with Watson.
“I hope so," running back Kareem Hunt said. “Flacco’s a great quarterback and a great leader and I feel like Deshaun. He also could probably learn some stuff from him from his years playing. So I’m excited. If they can be teammates, that’d be really great.”
