Deshaun Watson could return next week at Colts

The enigmatic situation surrounding Deshaun Watson, quarterback for the Browns, continues to grow even more perplexing.

After Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reported that Watson could potentially miss multiple additional games due to a rotator cuff contusion, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com now claims that Watson might make a comeback as early as the upcoming weekend against the Colts.

The contradicting reports should come as no surprise, considering the ongoing confusion surrounding Watson’s injury. Just two days prior to the Week 4 game against the Ravens, Watson confidently declared his intention to play despite his injury. However, his absence on game day left some teammates both surprised and disheartened, as they had expected him to follow through on his statement.

The team later deemed Watson’s absence as a “collective decision.” Furthermore, Coach Kevin Stefanski stated that Watson had received medical clearance to play.

At this point, all we can ascertain is that Watson will not be taking the field on Sunday against the 49ers as Cleveland comes off their bye week. For the Browns, the overarching question revolves around whether a somewhat diminished Watson is more beneficial than one of his fully-fit backups.

This situation warrants extra scrutiny due to Watson’s hefty annual salary of $46 million, with a guaranteed contract in place until 2026. Some would argue that if he has received medical clearance, he should at least make an attempt to play.

Possibly, we may see him in action next weekend.