Deshaun Watson Unaware Of Plan For Him To Start Browns Third Preseason Game

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski shared his plans for Deshaun Watson earlier in the week

Deshaun Watson meets with the media on the second day of Browns training camp at the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Spring, W. Va. / Spencer German

Word may travel slow inside the Cleveland Browns team facility.

Earlier in the week head coach Kevin Stefanski outlined his plan for star quarterback Deshaun Watson in the weeks ahead, starting with him being heavily involved in the team's joint practices with the Minnesota Vikings this week. He ultimately added that Watson would be the teams starting QB for their third preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks.

That decision was apparently news to Watson.

"That was the first time I heard that," Watson said when asked about Stefanski sharing his plan with the media earlier in the week. "But if I am, I'm playing. That's fine with me, yeah.

The Browns QB has been working his way back from a fractured glenoid in his throwing shoulder and the subsequent surgery all offseason. With guidance from team doctors and the head surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache Cleveland has followed a conservative recovery plan in the lead up to the season.

Since the start of training camp though, Watson has thrown just about every day and Stefanski shared earlier in the week that Watson has been cleared for contact. Watson shared that he received that clearance before the start of training camp.

Participating in next week's preseason finale will be the first in-game action Watson has seen since fracturing his shoulder against the Ravens in Week 10 of last season. Just because he's fully cleared though, doesn't mean he's in any hurry to sustain a hit.

"No, I'm not trying to take a hit, so that's not even on my mind," Watson admitted. "I'm trying to just come out clean each and every game. So that ain't on my mind to take a hit for sure."

That's not something he has to worry about this week. The rules of joint practices prioritize keeping both team's quarterbacks upright. Watson won't have to worry about that until that third preseason game, so long as the plan to to start him remains.