The Browns’ nightmarish 2024 season ended with a Week 18 loss and a 3-14 record. And while the season is officially over, the hits keep coming for the franchise.
On the first Monday of the offseason, Cleveland General Manager Andrew Berry spoke with reporters during the end-of-season exit process. During his time with the media, Berry revealed that Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson had suffered a setback in his recovery from Achilles surgery.
Watson saw his 2024 season cut short by a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered in Week 7, and based on the latest update, he may have fallen behind on a timeline that would get him back on the field in 2025.
Here is everything to know about Watson’s injury, what has been shared about his setback and what everything means for him and the Browns moving forward.
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Deshaun Watson’s Achilles injury
Watson is the latest high-profile quarterback to suffer an Achilles injury in the last two seasons. In 2023, veterans Aaron Rodgers (Week 1) and Kirk Cousins (Week 8) saw their seasons end early due to Achilles tears.
Watson’s injury occurred right before halftime of Cleveland’s Week 7 game with Cincinnati. As he attempted to plant his foot, Watson suffered a non-contact lower leg injury and was in evident pain. He was visibly emotional while being carted off the field.
Deshaun Watson was in tears as he was carted off the field. pic.twitter.com/hgzpq7QPZq https://t.co/jXW19a3TzK
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 20, 2024
Tests confirmed Watson suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon and he underwent season-ending surgery days later.
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Deshaun Watson’s Achilles recovery timeline
While he has been in the NFL since 2017, Watson is a significantly younger quarterback than the other two who were plagued by similar injuries.
Recovery timelines vary by the individual but the NYU Langone Orthopedic Center states recovery from an Achilles rupture could require up to six months to get back to walking normally or going on a hike. The same source sets a nine-month timeline for returning to soccer or football, though these timeframes are for young adults in their early 20s.
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Watson is 29 and will turn 30 as the 2025 season gets underway. He suffered the injury on Oct. 20, 2024, and a six-month timeline would have had him ramping up physical activity in late April.
That said, the news of Watson’s setback muddies up the timeline. He is less than three months into his recovery, and while Berry did not share the severity of the setback, Watson’s recovery will take longer than initially believed.
The 2025 NFL season will begin in September — less than 11 months following Watson’s Achilles injury and the surgery to repair it. Berry said it is too early to tell if Watson’s status to start the year will be impacted but given the timing of his setback, it is in the cards.
As Cleveland prepares for the offseason and NFL Draft, this developing story will certainly impact the franchise’s approach.
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