Browns still plan to play QB Deshaun Watson in preseason finale despite injury issues with tackles
CLEVELAND (AP) — Deshaun Watson’s preseason debut remains on schedule. It’s still not known who will be blocking for the Browns quarterback.
Three more offensive tackles got hurt during Cleveland’s exhibition loss to Minnesota on Saturday, further depleting the vital position as the Browns wait for starters Jedrick Wills Jr. and Jack Conklin to return from season-ending injuries.
Watson is set to play this week in Seattle in Cleveland’s exhibition finale, his first game action since breaking his right shoulder in November.
As of now, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said that objective has not been altered by the rash of injuries at tackle.
“The plan is for him to play,” Stefanski said Sunday on a Zoom call. “I always take in information, so I’m going to make sure I talk to and work through that this week. Not going to get into who plays and how much just yet, but going to certainly work through that in the next couple of days.”
Watson was kept out of Cleveland’s first two preseason games as the team closely monitors his progress after the 28-year-old underwent surgery to repair the broken glenoid bone in his throwing shoulder.
Watson, who has played just 12 games in two seasons with the Browns, has thrown all but one day during training camp. He was a full participant in two joint practices last week against the Vikings.
Stefanski wouldn’t specify how much Watson or Cleveland’s starters might play against the Seahawks. The Browns open the regular season on Sept. 8 against Dallas.
“Everything’s on the table,” he said. “What we have to do is just always … we have a plan, look at it, see what’s available, do we want to alter anything? So we’ll work through that in the next couple of days.”
Stefanski said Wills will not be back at practice this week. He’s been doing side work with Cleveland’s training staff and appears to be further ahead of Conklin, who suffered his injury in last season’s opener.
In Saturday’s 27-12 loss to the Vikings, James Hudson III, who has been the primary replacement for Wills, went out with an ankle injury and backups Germain Ifedi (hand) and Hakeem Adeniji (knee) both got hurt.
The Browns signed Ifedi and Adeniji in the offseason to add depth after Wills, Conklin and rookie Dawand Jones all suffered season-ending knee injuries in 2023. Jones is healthy but was rested against Minnesota.
Stefanski said Hudson won’t play this week, but “will be back soon.” He added Ifedi “should be good to go” but that Adeniji, who got hurt while hustling to help on a tackle to stop an interception return, will be “out for a little bit.”
While there doesn’t appear to be immediate urgency to find a tackle, Browns general manager Andrew Berry is undoubtedly scanning the waiver wire for potential depth.
“Nobody loves the injury piece of this,” Stefanski said. “But when it happens, we have to do our due diligence and look around and that type of thing. But I feel confident certainly in the group that we have.”
NOTES: Stefanski said FB Giovanni Ricci (knee) will miss a few weeks after getting hurt against the Vikings. … The coach also praised QB Tyler Huntley, who had his helmet knocked off while throwing an interception but retrieved it and ran down Minnesota rookie cornerback Dwight McGlothern after a 90-yard return.
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