Tag: Watson

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) escapes from Tennessee Titans safety Amani Hooker (37) during the second quarter in Cleveland, Ohio, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023.

Deshaun Watson claims he’s ready, Browns list him as questionable

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Dorian Thompson-Robinson ran the Browns’ offense most of the past two days in practice, but Deshaun Watson insists he will start when Cleveland visits the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.

Watson is questionable with a shoulder injury and clearly was impacted in Friday’s session during which he largely watched his rookie backup operate with the first-team offense. Watson threw only two passes during the practice before talking to trainers.

Defensive end Myles Garrett said Friday “knowing him, he’s a baller. We think he’ll play.”

Thompson-Robinson said he’ll be ready if his number is called.

“I’m ready for it. Very confident in my preparation for it the week,” Thompson-Robinson said.

Watson has four touchdown passes, two interceptions and two fumbles lost in three games this season.

–Field Level Media

Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) hands the ball to running back David Montgomery (5) against Seattle Seahawks during the first half at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023.

Report: Lions RB David Montgomery to play vs. Packers

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery and left tackle Taylor Decker are expected to play in Thursday’s game against the host Green Bay Packers, NFL Network reported.

Cornerback Emmanuel Moseley (knee, hamstring) is not expected to play versus the Packers (2-1), per the report. All three players were listed as questionable on Wednesday for the showdown between the NFC North rivals.

NFL Network reported that Green Bay running back Aaron Jones and wide receiver Christian Watson are expected to play versus Detroit (2-1). Both players were listed as questionable on Wednesday with hamstring injuries, though Watson said he plans to make his season debut this week.

Montgomery, 26, sat out the Lions’ 20-6 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday with a thigh injury. Rookie Jahmyr Gibbs rushed 17 times for 80 yards in his absence.

Montgomery has 37 carries for 141 yards and two touchdowns in two games this season.

Decker, 30, has missed the last two games due to an ankle injury.

Jones, 28, sustained his injury at the end of his 35-yard touchdown catch-and-run in Green Bay’s 38-20 victory over the Chicago Bears on Sept. 10. He sat out the Packers’ 25-24 loss to the Falcons the following week and 18-17 win over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

Watson, 24, hasn’t played this season due to a hamstring injury. He recorded 41 catches for 611 yards and seven touchdowns in 14 games (11 starts) as a rookie in 2022.

–Field Level Media

Sep 10, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones (33) runs for a touchdown during the second half of their game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike De Sisti-USA TODAY Sports

Packers RB Aaron Jones questionable to face Lions

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones turned in his third straight limited practice on Wednesday and is listed as questionable to play versus the visiting Detroit Lions on Thursday.

Jones suffered a hamstring injury at the end of his 35-yard touchdown catch-and-run in Green Bay’s 38-20 victory over the Chicago Bears on Sept. 10. He sat out the Packers’ 25-24 loss to the Atlanta Falcons the following week and 18-17 win over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

Wide receiver Christian Watson recorded his second consecutive limited practice session on Wednesday and is questionable to face the Lions (2-1). He has yet to make his season debut while dealing with a hamstring injury.

Jaire Alexander (back) was limited for the second straight practice on Wednesday. He joins fellow cornerback Carrington Valentine (biceps) and offensive lineman Zach Tom (knee) as questionable.

Green Bay offensive tackle David Bakhtiari (knee), guard Elgton Jenkins (knee), linebacker De’Vondre Campbell (ankle) and safety Zayne Anderson (hamstring) did not practice at all this week and were ruled out against Detroit.

The Lions listed running back David Montgomery (thigh), tackle Taylor Decker (ankle), guard Jonah Jackson (thigh), safety Kerby Joseph (hip) and defensive back Emmanuel Moseley (knee/hamstring) as questionable to face Green Bay (2-1). Those five players were estimated as limited participants in Wednesday’s practice.

Offensive tackle Matt Nelson (ankle), fullback Jason Cabinda (knee) and guard Halapoulivaati Vaitai (knee) were ruled out for Thursday’s game.

–Field Level Media

Sep 10, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones (33) runs with the ball against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports

Packers RB Aaron Jones, WR Christian Watson inactive vs. Saints

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones, wide receiver Christian Watson, left tackle David Bakhtiari and cornerback Jaire Alexander were ruled inactive for Sunday’s game against the visiting New Orleans Saints.

All four players were listed as questionable on Friday by the Packers (1-1), who have a quick turnaround with a home game against the Detroit Lions on Thursday.

Jones sustained a hamstring injury at the end of his 35-yard touchdown catch-and-run in Green Bay’s 38-20 victory over the Chicago Bears on Sept. 10. He finished with nine carries for 41 yards and a score and two receptions for 86 yards and a touchdown.

Fellow running back A.J. Dillon likely will see a boost in playing time with Jones sidelined for the second straight game.

Watson has yet to make his season debut due to his hamstring injury. He recorded 41 catches for 611 yards and seven touchdowns in 14 games (11 starts) as a rookie in 2022.

Bakhtiari is nursing a knee injury. The three-time Pro Bowl and two-time All-Pro first-team selection has made 130 regular season starts for Green Bay, although a knee injury limited him to one start in 2021 and 11 in 2022.

Alexander was added to the Packers’ injury report on Friday with a back injury. The two-time Pro Bowl selection has eight tackles and two pass deflections in two games this season.

The Packers also listed defensive backs Anthony Johnson Jr. and Zayne Anderson as well as offensive guard Elgton Jenkins as inactive.

As for the Saints (2-0), they listed the following as inactive for Sunday’s game: cornerback Paulson Adebo, tight end Foster Moreau, wide receiver A.T. Perry, offensive lineman Nick Saldiveri and defensive lineman Kyle Phillips.

–Field Level Media

Sep 10, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones (33) runs with the ball against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports

Packers RB Aaron Jones, WR Christian Watson inactive vs. Falcons

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones, wide receiver Christian Watson and left tackle David Bakhtiari were ruled inactive for Sunday’s game against the host Atlanta Falcons.

Jones, 28, sustained a hamstring injury at the end of his 35-yard touchdown catch and run in Green Bay’s 38-20 victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday. He finished with nine carries for 41 yards and a score and two receptions for 86 yards and a touchdown.

Fellow running back A.J. Dillon likely will see a boost in playing time with Jones sidelined.

Watson, 24, was an early second-round pick of the Packers in the 2022 draft and entered his sophomore season as the team’s No. 1 wideout. He did not play in the season opener due to his hamstring injury.

Watson recorded 41 catches for 611 yards and seven touchdowns in 14 games (11 starts) as a rookie in 2022.

Bakhtiari, 31, is nursing a knee injury. The three-time Pro Bowl and two-time All-Pro first-team selection has made 130 regular season starts for Green Bay, although a knee injury limited him to one start in 2021 and 11 in 2022.

The Packers also listed safeties Anthony Johnson Jr. and Zayne Anderson, linebacker Brenton Cox Jr. and tackle Caleb Jones as inactive.

For the Falcons, versatile running back Cordarrelle Patterson, cornerback Jeff Okudah, Logan Woodside (emergency third quarterback), linebacker Troy Andersen, offensive lineman Jovaughn Gwyn, wide receiver Josh Ali and defensive lineman Joe Gaziano are also inactive.

–Field Level Media

Jul 28, 2023; Ashburn, VA, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell (14) passes the ball on day three of Commanders training camp at OrthoVirginia Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Commanders QB Sam Howell to start preseason opener vs. Browns

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Second-year pro Sam Howell has been named the Washington Commanders’ starting quarterback for Friday’s road game against the Cleveland Browns.

The team formally made the declaration on Wednesday, two days after releasing a depth chart displaying Howell as the first-team quarterback and veteran Jacoby Brissett listed as No. 2.

Howell also has taken the bulk of the No. 1 repetitions during training camp and has impressed new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy.

“Sam’s actually doing a hell of a job,” Bieniemy said earlier this week. “I’ve seen the growth. You can see when he’s confident, he’s … releasing that ball. It’s a thing of beauty.”

Howell was a fifth-round pick in the 2022 draft out of North Carolina.

His lone appearance last season was in the season finale against the Dallas Cowboys when he completed 11 of 19 passes for 169 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He also rushed for a touchdown.

Deshaun Watson said Wednesday that he will start at quarterback for the Browns.

“Just kind of getting myself back into a routine to get ready for the season,” Watson told reporters.

–Field Level Media

Jan 8, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) throws a practice pass as head coach Kevin Stefanski (right) watches before playing the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports

Reports: Browns restructure Deshaun Watson’s contract, clear $36M cap space

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Deshaun Watson agreed to convert his $46 million base salary into a partial bonus, clearing $36 million under the 2023 salary cap for the Cleveland Browns, per multiple reports.

The modification was expected following general manager Andrew Berry’s suggestion the accounting tactic was “on the table” for the Browns, who are navigating the atypical fully guaranteed contract Watson signed in 2022.

By moving the quarterback’s salary to bonus and spreading the cap hit over the final four years of a five-year, $230 million deal, the Browns increased Watson’s cap hit to $64 million each of the next three years.

The NFL suspended Watson for the first 11 games of the 2022 season and fined him $5 million for off-field personal conduct violations related to accusations from more than two dozen female massage therapists who said he committed sexual misconduct. He was scheduled to have a cap hit of more than $54 million.

The highest salary cap charge in the history of the NFL for a single season to date is $39 million.

–Field Level Media

Jan 8, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) in the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports

Browns GM: Restructuring QB Deshaun Watson’s contract ‘on the table’

Posted on | by Field Level Media

One year after Deshaun Watson signed a fully guaranteed $230 million contract with the Cleveland Browns, the franchise is looking to restructure the deal to create much-needed salary cap space.

Watson’s cap charge for the next four seasons is a record $54,993,000, and general manager Andrew Berry said restructuring the contract is an option.

“It could be on the table,” Berry said, “But there’s a lot of flexibility in terms of what we can do.”

Watson is scheduled for a base salary of $46 million and is charged $8.993 million for his signing bonus.

Cleveland is projected to be $14.373 million over the 2023 salary cap as of Tuesday.

The highest salary cap charge in the history of the NFL for a single season to date was $39 million.

NFL teams have until March 15 to align their finances and be compliant with the 2023 salary cap of $224.8 million.

–Field Level Media

Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson talks with head coach Kevin Stefanski after minicamp on Wednesday, June 15, 2022 in Canton. Browns Hof 4

Deshaun Watson on debut: ‘Don’t know when it’s going to come back’

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Deshaun Watson won his debut with the Cleveland Browns last week in Houston. The result was one of few positives for the quarterback in his first game in 700 days.

Watson completed 12 of 22 passes, was intercepted in the end zone and totaled 131 yards without a TD drive.

“I don’t know when it’s going to come back,” Watson said Thursday. “I don’t know if it was going to be last week, this week. My job is to just keep getting better and when it clicks, it clicks, and everyone will feel that.”

Suspended for 11 games this season after sitting out all of 2021 as a member of the Texans, Watson’s reputation, timing, mechanics, conditioning and confidence all need to be rebuilt, in his own estimation.

More than two dozen women accused Watson of sexual assault and sexual misconduct during massage therapy sessions. The NFL investigation found Watson’s behavior to be predatory and intentional, leading to the ban under the league’s personal conduct policy. He was also fined $5 million.

With that backdrop and the implied pressure of a fully guaranteed $230 million contract with the Browns, Cleveland improved to 5-7 in Houston and is still alive in the AFC playoff picture.

“The last week, it was a lot. The anticipation to be back on the field. The anticipation of going back to my former team. The anticipation, playing against former teammates and being in front of a crowd that used to cheer for me at the time,” Watson said. “All that stuff was definitely, it was a lot. I’m human. So, I definitely have things running through my mind. I’m glad that’s out the way, I’m glad we got the win. I’m just trying to look forward to this week. It’s going to be a hostile environment in Cincinnati. It’s going to be fun and we just got to go out there and just make sure we execute the game plan.”

The teams in front of the Browns in the AFC North — the Cincinnati Bengals (8-4) and Baltimore Ravens (8-4) — are up next on the schedule.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski, also the offensive play-caller for the Browns, said there is a timing and connectivity element for Watson’s teammates that will come with more reps.

“Deshaun, that is his first start so he got the first one out of the way, and I know he is looking forward to turning the page, really diving into Cincinnati, understanding this defense, putting together a plan and going out here and working on it this week,” Stefanski said. “I think that really becomes our focus.”

–Field Level Media

Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson talks with head coach Kevin Stefanski after minicamp on Wednesday, June 15, 2022 in Canton. Browns Hof 4

Deshaun Watson officially reinstated Monday

Posted on | by Field Level Media

It’s officially Houston week for Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson.

The end of Watson’s league-issued suspension officially arrived Monday afternoon and Cleveland begins preparing for a trip to play the Texans (1-9-1) with practice Wednesday.

At 4-7, the Browns need a lot of breaks to crash the AFC playoff picture in December. Watson was confirmed as the starting quarterback for the Week 13 visit to his former team by head coach Kevin Stefanski despite a significant win on Sunday behind Jacoby Brissett.

The Texans have lost six consecutive games and started backup Kyle Allen for the first time on Sunday. Houston owns the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft based on current standings.

Watson was permitted to participate in all team activities starting Nov. 14 under terms of the 11-game suspension.

Watson was acquired from the Texans in March and signed to a $250 million contract. He was banned for 11 games in August for violating the league’s personal conduct policy, when the NFL ruled his behavior with massage therapists was “egregious” and “predatory.”

Watson agreed to a $5 million fine and the suspension, and vowed to undergo counseling and treatment.

Since the ruling, Watson was mostly away from the team. He was cleared to attend meetings and use weight room facilities last month.

–Field Level Media