Browns starting quarterback Deshaun Watson has been cleared for contact with his surgically repaired shoulder, but he will miss his second preseason game in a row when Cleveland plays Minnesota this week.
Watson was on the sidelines for Saturday night’s preseason opener against Green Bay, where the Browns lost 23-10 to the Packers. The team is being cautious with Watson, who had shoulder surgery last November.
Coach Kevin Stefanski said on a Zoom call Sunday that Watson will take part in this week’s joint practices with the Vikings. Minnesota will come to the Browns’ practice facility on Wednesday and Thursday before playing the Browns on Saturday.
Stefanski did not specify how much Watson would do against the Vikings but mentioned that “he’ll get his work done versus them in a controlled setting.”
Stefanski also confirmed that Watson is allowed to have contact, although he will be protected during the sessions with the Vikings.
Watson has been throwing almost every day in training camp, sometimes taking breaks by simulating throws in drills.
The Browns kept him out of the preseason opener, with backup Jameis Winston starting and playing one series.
Tyler Huntley played the rest of the first half, and second-year quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson gave the team a boost in the second half by completing 14 of 18 passes for 134 yards.
The 28-year-old Watson fractured the glenoid bone in his right shoulder while leading the Browns to a win over the Baltimore Ravens on November 12. This injury was another setback for Watson, who has played only 12 regular-season games since 2020 due to various issues.
He missed the 2021 season because of a contract dispute with Houston. Watson was then suspended for 11 games by the NFL during his first season with the Browns, who signed him in 2022 to a $230 million contract.
Watson went 5-1 in six starts last season and was starting to look like his old self again before he got hurt.
