Latest Deshaun Watson shoulder update should excite Browns fans

After Deshaun Watson went down to injury last year, the Cleveland Browns could have been dead in the water.

Obviously, we all know what happened next. The Browns ended up starting a total of five quarterbacks over the course of the regular season, when it was all said and done. But, it was the savvy veteran Joe Flacco who saved the day and led Cleveland to a playoff berth.

Now with Flacco in Indianapolis, the Browns are depending on their starter to return from shoulder surgery in time to play Week 1 of the 2024 season.

If the latest update on Watson's shoulder is any indication, it appears he will be ready even before then. Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Watson gave us all some good news.

It looks like Deshaun Watson will indeed be ready to go for the 2024 regular season

Watson was also asked when he thinks the injury happened last year, and wasn't too sure. He knew that it had definitely happened by the time the Browns traveled to Baltimore in Week 10.

"No one knows when it actually happened ... when that bone actually came apart. I knew for sure in Baltimore, though, because I heard some clicking sounds," Watson explained.

The nature of Watson's injury was more intricate than some may have originally thought, and it wasn't just a broken bone, of course. There were tears involved, he told the media.

"The labrum was the one that was hanging from the bone, so they pretty much repaired that, put that together ... he pretty much made sure the labrum was good. It wasn't a full labrum (tear)," he said, acknowledging it was just a partial labrum tear, which was a positive.

If Watson for some reason was unable to go by Week 1, it would be veteran Jameis Winston now stepping in, and he's more than capable of getting it done.

Should Watson return this season, though, and not perform up to snuff, where would the Browns turn? That's the big question, especially considering the contract situation of Watson. There have been some rumors of Cleveland being interested in a quarterback within the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft, too, which only further stirs the pot.

For now, we should expect to see Watson under center and, for the sake of the Browns, hope he plays well and can finally return to the guy he once was in Houston.