DeshaunWatson

News: 17 hours agoThe Browns listed Watson (concussion) as a non-participant in Wednesday's practice.

Spin: Early in this past Sunday's 27-6 loss to the Steelers, Watson exited the game to get checked for a concussion following a helmet-to-helmet hit, but he was cleared to re-enter the contest after missing just four offensive snaps. However, after he had some late-surfacing symptoms, Watson entered concussion protocol Tuesday and was a spectator for the Browns' first Week 9 session. According to Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com, Watson "felt a lot better" Wednesday and was involved in meetings, but Shedeur Sanders took all the reps with the first-team offense. Sanders appears to be trending toward starting Sunday against the Saints, as Monken acknowledged that it will be difficult for Watson to play even if he ends up clearing the protocol late in the week, per Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Watson will return to the field this season after a disastrous four years in Cleveland. A top-six fantasy QB (points per game) during each of his first four NFL seasons, Watson has appeared in a total of 19 games since joining the Browns, averaging a poor 13.1 fantasy points during the span. A torn Achilles suffered in Week 7 of 2024 (followed by tearing it again less than three months later) cost Watson all of 2025. Now 30 years old, with a young, unproven supporting cast and having not been a factor since 2020, Watson will open the season as Cleveland's starter, but he's a long shot to return to fantasy relevance. He should be considered only in superflex formats.