Browns will feature Deshaun Watson in joint practice, sit Preseason Week 2

Deshaun Watson didn't play in the preseason opener for the Cleveland Browns and that will be the case once again in Week 2 when they host the Minnesota Vikings. That doesn't mean he won't get work in against a different defense than Cleveland's.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski said Watson will sit out the game but they'll feature him heavily as the Browns and Vikings face one another for joint practices this week.

Doing so will allow the Browns to control the situations Watson is put in says the head coach.

"He'll get the vast majority of the reps; again, not playing in the game on Saturday night, so he'll get his work done versus them in a controlled setting," Stefanski said via Kelsey Russo of ClevelandBrowns.com.

This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone who has been paying attention to how the Browns have approached things with Watson. In 2022, he threw just five passes in the preseason making only one appearance. Last year, he played in two games but was just 8-of-13, again hardly seeing the field.

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Teams have been cautious of playing any of their star players in the preseason and that's when they don't have a health concern. With Watson, they're bringing him along slowly as he recovers from offseason shoulder surgery. That's why Stefanski wants to control how he gets his work.

It also doesn't mean Watson won't be ready for the regular season. Players and coaches have all said the joint practices have been more beneficial to their preparation than any of the preseason games. That's why Stefanski plans on using No. 4 during the week in these scrimmages.

Looking ahead to their final game in Seattle, it would be a surprise to see Watson play then either.

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