Browns Fans Shouldn't Panic Yet With Watson's Injury

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson's injured shoulder has been the talk of the town this week, but it's not time for fans to throw in the towel.

Sometimes it's hard to convince yourself that the sky isn't falling. We are used to that in Cleveland.

Browns fans have been down this road so many times. You've heard and read it all this week ... DeShaun Watson's absence on Sunday means the Browns will start a third different quarterback this season (P.J. Walker) within the first five games. That marks the 10th time in 24 years the Browns have had an unstable quarterback solution to that degree. Walker will also be the 36th different starter in that stretch.

Nick Chubb is out for the year, Joel Bitonio and David Njoku (among others) aren't healthy.

Here we go again ... right?

Personally, I'm not ready to smash the panic button quite yet.

Oct 1, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns fans sit in the stands after a loss to the Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns Stadium / © David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Sunday's matchup against one of the premier teams in the NFL was going to be an extremely difficult test even if the Browns were fully healthy. It's also not out of the realm of possibility that Cleveland pulls off an upset on Sunday. But the San Francisco 49ers look like a complete juggernaut - especially after throttling Dallas last weekend.

The NFL is a league built around parity and Cleveland still has some weapons. Jim Schwartz's defense is proving to be elite, even if some fans want to see a larger sample size before they completely buy in.

To me, the question isn't whether or not Deshaun Watson plays this weekend.

It's whether he plays the next two weeks.

Unfortunately, it seems like even he doesn't really know how long he might be "medically cleared to play", but "functionally not able to play" with his rotator cuff contusion.

The schedule in the second half of the season looks exceptionally promising. If the Browns can figure out how to be 5-5 through the first 10 games, I think a playoff berth is well within reach. Unquestionably, a healthy Deshaun Watson gives them the best chance to accomplish that. But the gut punch the team feels in playing an elite team so short-handed shouldn't be overshadowed by the fact that the season is still young and their goals are still very realistic.