Browns rule out Deshaun Watson in Week 8 against Seattle

Deshaun Watson has thrown just five passes since a Week 3 win and will be out again in Week 8. P.J. Walker will start in his place at Seattle.
Cleveland Browns v Indianapolis Colts
Cleveland Browns v Indianapolis Colts / Dylan Buell/GettyImages
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For the third time this season, the Cleveland Browns will start their No. 2 quarterback. Back in Week 3, Deshaun Watson suffered a shoulder injury which forced him out of their first meeting with the Baltimore Ravens.

Dorian Thompson-Robinson got the start in that one but was relegated to the No. 3 role after a tough outing. P.J. Walker was the next option and he led them to a shocking win over the San Francisco 49ers. Watson finally returned in Week 7 but managed just five passes with one completion before he was sidelined following a hard hit.

After the game ended, Watson went for an MRI, and head coach Kevin Stefanski continued to say he was "day-to-day." On Wednesday, that changed with the coach saying Watson was out and Walker would start against the Seattle Seahawks.

Shortly before this news, it was reported that Watson was unable to practice Wednesday and would also be unavailable for media sessions. There will be questions surrounding his absence there but Cleveland typically doesn't make injured players available for press conferences.

Deshaun Watson continues to leave the Browns waiting

Fans have grown restless in the Watson situation and it's hard to blame them. After being added in a blockbuster trade, Watson had to sit out 11 games in 2022 due to a league suspension due to more than 20 allegations of sexual misconduct.

When he returned, it was a mixed bag but the promise of a better performance in 2023 loomed large. Watson spent a whole offseason in the offense and general manager Andrew Berry even added plenty of talent around him in an effort to make the offense "Watson-friendly."

Despite all of this, he struggled out of the gate but put up his best performance in Week 3 against the Titans. Hope was re-ignited but then just as quickly, he was shelved with the shoulder injury.

Making matters worse is the poor communication that's come out of Berea which has left fans confused. Unfortunately, there's nothing to do at this point but continue to wait, which seems to be the theme for this era of football in Cleveland.

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