BELLAIRE, Ohio (AP) — The Browns made do with healthy quarterbacks while waiting for Deshaun Watson to recover from his shoulder injury.
Watson again missed practice Wednesday due to a right shoulder contusion, leaving him in doubt for Sunday’s game against the undefeated San Francisco 49ers.
Browns manager Kevin Stefanski once again declined to provide many details about the injury, which occurred during a running play in a Sept. 24 game against Tennessee.
Watson was medically cleared to play next week, but missed the game against Baltimore. This decision, along with the severity of the QB’s illness, led to theories about who ultimately made the decision.
Although much remains unresolved, Stefanski has moved veteran quarterback P.J. Walker (currently on the practice squad) ahead of rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson as Watson’s backup. It revealed that.
If Watson does not play against the 49ers (5-0), Walker will start for the Browns (2-2) instead of Thompson, who had a disappointing NFL debut on Oct. 1 against the Ravens. Become.
“I felt it was the right decision for the team.” Stefanski said. “PJ has been here for over a month now and has a better understanding of what we do.”
As for Watson, he missed his second practice this week due to a rotator cuff bruise. The Browns have repeatedly said his shoulder is structurally intact. The 28-year-old was expected to return this week following his team’s bye.
But he still can’t throw fast enough, and Stefanski said the team plans to wait as long as necessary.
“I don’t care if it’s your ankle, your knee, your shoulder. You have to be able to do your job, be able to defend your position and do everything that’s asked of you. ” Stefanski said.
“So that’s really what it’s all about. Making sure he continues to rehabilitate and get to a point where he can do his job at a high level.”
Watson typically meets with reporters on Wednesdays during game week, but was not available for an interview before practice. He was in the locker room for a few minutes, chatting briefly with members of the team’s media relations staff, then retrieved his things from his cubicle and left.
Stefanski was asked if Watson’s playing status could be up in the air again until game time.
“Let’s see how this week goes.” He said. “I’m really focused today.”
The Browns are trying to avoid a repeat of two weeks ago. Watson had limited practice leading up to the game against the Ravens, but the team expected him to start against the division rival.
But when Watson arrived at the stadium, he was only able to throw a few yards, and the Browns turned to Thompson Robinson, a fifth-round pick from UCLA who has started 48 games in college.
Thompson-Robinson threw three interceptions and was sacked four times, but his performance renewed questions about why the Browns traded proven backup Joshua Dobbins to Arizona.
Thompson-Robinson never makes excuses and feels his second outing, whenever it comes, will be better.
“Would I have had more (time)?” Yes, but that’s an excuse. I think it’s going to be a different type of game in the NFL than it was in college, just learning how to manage the game better. It was my first experience so there was definitely a lot to learn and I learned a lot of important things from that game.
Walker’s NFL experience should give the Browns more confidence going into the matchup against the 49ers, who defeated Dallas 42-10.
The 28-year-old went 4-3 in seven starts for Carolina over the past three years.
“He’s a veteran, he’s been in some games. He’s won some games.” He said. “Obviously, P.J. isn’t 40 years old, but he’s played in some games. He’s been around a little bit. He’s played in a lot of different systems. So he’s a great player for us here. I’m getting used to what I’m doing.”
Notes: Starting C Ethan Pocic (chest, knee) returned to practice on a limited basis after being injured against Baltimore. …LG Joel Bitonio (knee), All-Pro DE Myles Garrett (foot) and TE David Njoku (face, hand) were all out. Stefanski said Bitonio is taking it day by day. Garrett’s rest is precautionary. Njoku suffered burns in a fire scene accident on September 29, but played two days later. “It’s a serious injury.” Stefanski said. “He’s trying to get through it. He’s not ready to participate in practice yet. Let’s see how this goes over the next few days.”