The Cleveland Browns will have to handle Week 4 without their starting quarterback.
According to multiple reports, Deshaun Watson will not be able to start against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. Instead, rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson will get his first NFL start while Watson rests his shoulder.
The #browns were optimistic heading into today that Deshaun Watson would be able to go, but after a pregame warmup he’s unable to per source.
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) October 1, 2023
Exact details about Watson’s shoulder injury aren’t known. It’s likely he injured it during the Browns’ Week 3 win over the Tennessee Titans, but there was no indication that anything was even wrong until the end of the week. The first we heard about any kind of issue was on Wednesday, when Watson made an appearance at practice but was “resting his shoulder.” At that time, the injury wasn’t supposed to keep him out of Sunday’s game.
Then on Friday, Watson’s throwing was limited in practice due to shoulder soreness. Head coach Kevin Stefanski told the media that he was “hopeful” Watson could play, which was surprising since no one had known his injury was that serious.
Despite a few reports on Sunday morning that said Watson was going to be able to play, the Browns reportedly opted to sit their starting QB instead of risking further damage to his shoulder.
Thompson-Robinson, 23, spent four years playing for the UCLA Bruins before the Browns drafted him in the fifth round in April 2023. His first NFL game is a heated matchup against a division rival, so the Browns will find out quickly what they’ve got in Thompson-Robinson.