Browns QB Deshaun Watson's 'process' of recovery right now centers on 'load management'

BEREA — Deshaun Watson's shoulder is going to be a topic of conversation until the Browns quarterback actually throws the ball in NFL games this fall. So it wasn't a surprise that he didn't have many specifics to provide during a 20-minute availability on the second day of the voluntary offseason program.

Watson's throwing shoulder has been scrutinized since even before he underwent surgery on it on Nov. 21 to repair a broken glenoid. The scrutiny actually started in late September, when he suffered a rotator cuff strain that cost him three-plus games over the next month.

Since the surgery, though, the scrutiny has shifted to Watson's timeline to getting back on the field throwing. He started throwing as part of that process during the middle of last month.

"We just put a process that can ramp up and that's just right for the right timing to come back and be able to be full go," Watson said. "I think in this process right now, it's all about load management and not doing too much, even though I probably could. So yeah, we just make sure that we taking it day by day and we do exactly what everyone came on, months before, got on that call and we put the plan together just to make sure we're on the right track and staying on the right track and not getting ahead of ourselves."

The question for Watson has been what kind of throwing has been involved with the recent ramp-up. Has it been a light throwing program, where soft-toss is mostly part of the process, or has he been able to unleash downfield throws at all?

Watson didn't want to characterize the throwing in any specific way. All he would confirm was that he's felt good with his motion, velocity and arm strength.

"I mean I've been able to throw, I think it's still early to really let go," Watson said. "When you say let it go as far as, you talking like 50 yards down feel or full speed? I'm throwing full speed. Everything is fluid motion, no hinging or — and when I say hinging, my release point, when I'm throwing it and things like that — everything is fluid and motion is really good. The velocity and the strength is really good. So it's been well."

For all involved, Watson's will be considered fully "well" when he's able to get back on the field and throw like a normal NFL quarterback. He said about two weeks ago at the opening of his new restaurant in Cleveland that he expected to be back on the field for Week 1.

On Tuesday, Watson was asked about the timeline again. This time, he was specifically asked about the potential of getting back on the field when the Browns get to the on-field portion of the offseason program in late May and early June.

That's where Watson hedged a bit, acknowledging again the push-back he was getting from the medical personnel involved. He specifically cited his surgeon, Dr. Neal ElAttrache.

"That's the plan," Watson said of returning for OTAs. "We talked previously about that. I think we got to see how these next couple of weeks go. I know for Dr. ElAttrache, he wants to be a little bit more conservative just because it was a joint, the glenoid labrum. So he wants to really make sure that we're not doing too much and other experts that was a part of it said the same thing.

"This is an injury that for spring, you want to be a little bit more conservative and this summer and get ready for training camp. That's when there's going to be a time where we can pick that up. So I think he can go either way for that in the next couple of weeks."

Watson did disclose for the first time the potential of a connection between the rotator cuff strain he suffered in Week 3 against the Tennessee Titans and the season-ending glenoid fracture. That was part of a larger discussion where he acknowledged some vagueness on what had been the established timeline on the injury.

The narrative up until Tuesday had always been that Watson sustained the broken bone during the Week 10 win at the Baltimore Ravens. That's when he went out in the second half and completed all 14 passes over the final two quarters for 134 yards and a touchdown to help lead the Browns to a 33-31 win.

Watson, however, threw some doubt on that by hinting at issues even before the Ravens game by mentioning pain during the previous week's win over the Arizona Cardinals. Or, at least, he acknowledged ElAttrache has his own questions about the timeline.

"I don't really remember," Watson said. "I was just, of course from the Tennessee game, I was dealing with just shoulder injury. So I think with him just over his years, he don't know, because it don't really happen in football with this injury. It's a lot of baseball guys. For him, it just goes back to his baseball experience. That's why he was just kind of worried.

"No one knows when it actually happened, or when that bone actually came apart. I knew, for sure, in Baltimore though because I heard some clicking sounds and that's one of the indicators that something is wrong with that joint. That's probably a question for Dr. ElAttrache and why he pretty much said that. I just know that he was just very amazed how I finished both of those games."

Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Deshaun Watson focused on 'load management' at this stage in recovery