Deshaun May be Activated by Game 5 and Should be QB2

Deshaun Watson looks to be on track to be healthy, meaning he will have to be activated by Game 5 and if so he is probably the second best quarterback on the roster. 

The Deshaun soap opera continues, but maybe this is not a bad thing. As noted by the x.com post above, as well as several other sources, Deshaun Watson looks fine physically.  He's running sprints and executing his drills. He is currently on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, where he will remain for the next month.  By Week 5, however, a decision will be made.  If he is ready to start practicing, he must be given a roster spot. 

The fan consensus is that Deshaun is the Antichrist and must never see the field.  But the last time he saw the field before the ruptured Achilles, he went 15 for 17 with zero INTs. That's not terrible. Although the fan base does not want to hear this, it's better than Shedeur is capable of in 2025, and the Front Office does not want to hear that Dillon Gabriel combines lack of height and lack of speed in a package that has rarely been successful at the NFL level. 

Moreover, keep in mind that the team gave Deshaun everything he wanted in 2024, and that was a bad idea. Namely, they tried to model their offense off Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills using an Offensive Coordinator that the Bills fired.  Watson was never a long ball quarterback, but he might really be good in Stefanski's grind it out, run-first short passing offense.  When all else fails, listen to the Coach. 

I should probably mention in passing that there is also a Nuclear Option, in which the Browns say that Deshaun is (a) not healthy and  (b) re-injured himself by doing something negligent during his first rehab. If they can prove that, they can get some of the $167 million back that they still owe him.  That would be hard to prove when the dude is running wind sprints and looks like his old self. Face it, he should be back, and he has to take up a roster spot, whether he plays or not.  I think he should be the number two quarterback this year.   

Watson may be hated by the fan base, but inside the building at 76 Lou Groza Blvd he is a regular guy despite his alleged problems with masseuses. And fans, the real problem with Watson his contract, which is a Jimmy Haslam III special.  It's hard to blame the player for accepting the money offered by a foolish owner.