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Deshaun Watson Injury Update
QB · Cleveland Browns · Status, injury history and fantasy outlook
Updated · synced from the live injury report
Current status
OUT
Concussion
Latest
Deshaun Watson’s current injury designation is shown in the live status box above, which updates automatically from the official NFL injury report. As of Nov. 4, that designation followed a helmet-to-helmet hit from Steelers safety Jaquan Brisker in the Week 8 loss at Pittsburgh, which put him in the concussion protocol (NFL.com). He is inactive for the Nov. 8 Week 9 game against New Orleans, and Shedeur Sanders is starting in his place, per Yahoo Sports. He also ruptured his right Achilles in October 2024 and re-ruptured it in January 2025, missing the entire 2025 season.
Todd Monken named him the starter over Shedeur Sanders on Aug. 24. He threw for 205 yards in the Week 1 loss at Jacksonville (OutKick), then completed 24 of 30 for 238 yards and two touchdowns in the Week 2 win at Tampa Bay (CBS Sports), running 13 times for 60 yards over those two games.
Fantasy Action: Watson is a 2QB or superflex option only, and he is inactive for the Nov. 8 game against New Orleans, with Shedeur Sanders starting, per Yahoo Sports, so bench him this week. His mobility is otherwise back after the Achilles injuries, but a thin receiving corps built around rookies limits his ceiling in one-QB leagues.
Injury timeline — 2026
| Aug. 24 | Named the Browns’ starting quarterback by Todd Monken after competing with Shedeur Sanders (Wikipedia). |
| Sept. 13 | Made his first regular-season start since the 2024 Achilles rupture, a 34-10 loss at Jacksonville. |
| Nov. 4 | Placed in the concussion protocol after a helmet-to-helmet hit from Steelers safety Jaquan Brisker in Sunday’s Week 8 loss at Pittsburgh; Shedeur Sanders is in line to start Week 9 vs. New Orleans if Watson doesn’t clear it, per NFL.com. |
| Nov. 8 | Inactive for the Week 9 game against New Orleans; Shedeur Sanders starts (Yahoo Sports). |
Earlier seasons
| Season | Injury | Games missed |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Achilles re-rupture (missed entire season) | 17 |
| 2024 | Achilles rupture (season-ending) | 10 |
| 2023 | Right shoulder injuries (season-ending surgery) | 11 |
Did not play in 2025 after re-rupturing his right Achilles tendon and undergoing surgery on Jan. 9, 2025 (Wikipedia).
Sources
- NFL.com: Watson enters concussion protocol ahead of Week 9
- Yahoo Sports: Browns Wednesday injury report, Week 3
- Panthers.com: Know Your Foe, Week 3 Browns
- CBS Sports: Browns 23, Buccaneers 19
- OutKick: Watson remains Browns starter
- Wikipedia: Deshaun Watson
- Yahoo Sports: Browns vs. Saints inactives, Sanders starts
Deshaun Watson news
Frequently asked about Deshaun Watson
Is Deshaun Watson injured?
His current official designation is shown in the live status box at the top of this page, which updates automatically from the NFL injury report. As of Nov. 4, that’s for a concussion suffered on a helmet-to-helmet hit at Pittsburgh. He also returned in 2026 from Achilles ruptures in October 2024 and January 2025.
How long was Deshaun Watson out with his Achilles injury?
Watson ruptured his right Achilles in October 2024, re-ruptured it in January 2025 and missed the entire 2025 season before returning as the starter in Week 1 of 2026.
Where he ranks this week
Out Concussion
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