Deshaun Watson was spotted in a suite with girlfriend Jilly Anais during Sunday’s 36-19 loss to the Rams at SoFi Stadium.
While it’s no surprise the quarterback wasn’t on the sidelines as he recovers from Nov. 21 surgery to repair his fractured right throwing shoulder, Watson has been criticized for not being on the sidelines with his Cleveland teammates.
Watson’s absence was further highlighted with injured Bengals star Joe Burrow patrolling the sidelines for his team’s matchup against the Jaguars.
It’s not that Watson didn’t try, though.
A Browns spokesperson told Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot the team determined it too risky for him to be close to the action while at a critical juncture of his recovery.
Watson, 28, wanted to play out the season despite his injury, but multiple doctors told him it was not possible, per Cabot.
Instead, the Browns started Joe Flacco — last seen with the Jets in 2022 — against the Rams as their fourth QB of the season.
It it not clear who will start for the Browns against the Jaguars on Sunday as rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson continues to recover from a concussion.
Both Thompson-Robinson and P.J. Walker credited Watson for his guidance from the sidelines during a three-week recovery from a strained rotator cuff and before his surgery for the fractured glenoid bone.
“Deshaun was in my area the whole second half pretty much,” Thompson-Robinson said after a 13-10 win over the Steelers on Nov. 19. “Just comforting me, making sure that I’m good, motivating me, letting me know that, ‘Hey, I’ve been here before and you’re gonna go have another shot.’ And I sure did. And I was able to take advantage of it.”
Cleveland has dropped both its games since to fall to 7-5, good for second in the AFC North and in the playoff picture.
Watson, the recipient of a guaranteed $230 million deal from the Browns, won’t be back in his pads if they do make the postseason, but may be a sideline presence if the team will let him.
If not, he’s expected to be healthy for the 2024 season.
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