Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson will miss the rest of the NFL season after surgery to repair a broken right shoulder, the team said Wednesday.
The Browns said in a statement that an MRI exam performed on Monday revealed that Watson had a displaced fracture in his throwing shoulder and needs immediate surgery to avoid further structural damage.
“Deshaun will be placed on season-ending injured reserve and a full recovery is expected for the start of the 2024 season,” the Browns said.
Watson himself told reporters in a press conference on Wednesday that he was “still in disbelief”.
“It’s tough to try to wrap everything around my head right now,” said the signal caller who signed one of the richest contracts in NFL history, a five-year deal worth $250 million, with the Browns last year.
The focus now, he said would be to “make sure I keep my head above water and make sure I stay in touch with all the guys and support them as much as I possibly can”.
The Browns said Watson was evaluated on Monday after he suffered two injuries in Sunday’s 33-31 victory over the Baltimore Ravens.
An MRI on his left ankle showed a high ankle sprain.
His shoulder injury occurred on a hit in the first half, and he played through discomfort to pilot the Browns to a victory over AFC North division rivals Baltimore.
The Browns rallied from 24-9 down and sealed the victory on Dustin Hopkins’s walk-off field goal.
Browns general manager Andrew Berry said Wednesday that Watson’s broken shoulder was a “new injury” unrelated to the rotator cuff strain that saw him miss four games this season.
Berry called Watson’s performance on Sunday “an incredible display of physical and mental toughness”.
“Obviously we are very disappointed and devastated for Deshaun, especially give all that he has battled and gone through medically this season.”
