The Cleveland Browns have placed quarterback Deshaun Watson on the active/physically unable to perform (PUP) list for the start of training camp.
The expected designation came Tuesday as the full squad reported for the start of camp. Watson suffered a second Achilles tear in January while rehabbing from the Achilles injury he suffered last October in a game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Though an exact timetable for medical clearance is unknown, the Browns have long known that Watson would not be ready for the start of camp or for the start of the 2025 season. Players on the active-PUP list count against the 90-man roster during training camp and can be activated any time, but Watson’s expected rehab schedule extends beyond this summer.
It’s unknown if the Browns would activate Watson at any point during this season. In March, team owner Jimmy Haslam acknowledged the franchise’s disastrous 2022 trade for Watson by saying the Browns “took a big swing and miss” on acquiring Watson in a package that included three first-round picks.
“We thought we had a quarterback and we didn’t,” Haslam said.
The Browns still have a huge financial commitment to Watson, who counts for just less than $36 million on the team’s 2025 salary cap and is scheduled to count for just more than $80 million in 2026. The Browns have reworked Watson’s contract multiple times to lower his cap numbers and could do so again after this season.
The team could also work on a formal release ahead of 2026, though it’s too early to know how things might play out. Watson is signed through 2026 and, under the current contract structure, is set to count on the team’s cap through 2029. For now, he’s almost certain to start the regular season on the PUP list and the Browns can make further determinations around midseason.
Watson has started 19 games over three seasons with the Browns. He was limited to six games in 2022 after serving an 11-game suspension for violations of the NFL’s personal conduct policy, and each of his last two seasons has been ended by injury and subsequent surgeries. Watson has completed 61 percent of his passes in a Cleveland uniform, and the Browns are 9-10 in games he’s started.
Wednesday’s start of full camp marks the beginning of the final stage of the Browns’ four-man competition for the starting quarterback job. Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco are the veteran candidates in a completely remade quarterback room that also includes 2025 draft picks Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.
The Browns also placed defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr. (knee) on the PUP list and wide receiver David Bell (hip) on the active/non-football injury list. Hall and Bell are expected to be activated at some point during training camp.
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