10 August 2023 , 13:49
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Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson has confirmed that he will play the team’s second game of the preseason.
The Browns will play the Washington Commanders as they continue their preparations for the 2023 NFL regular season. Watson is continuing preparations for his second season with the franchise.
After the exit of Baker Mayfield in 2022, the Browns agreed to a trade with the Houston Texans to sign Watson. However, he missed the first 11 games of the 2022 regular season after being suspended for violating the NFL's personal-conduct policy. He was available to play in December last year.
Watson is yet to start Week 1 for the Browns since his trade in March 2022 but that looks set to change this year. As part of the preparations, it looks like head coach Kevin Stefanski wants to use his quarterback in the preseason.
The Browns take on Washington on Friday night, and Watson has confirmed that he will play. However, he is still not sure of how many minutes on the field he will get.
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"I just know I'm starting off," Watson told reporters on Wednesday. "The biggest thing is getting a feel for pregame and starting off the game, also getting myself back into routine of the season."
"It doesn't matter how long I play," Watson added. "I'm a competitor. How ever long [Stefanski] wants me to play, I will go out there and compete for the length of time and see what happens from there."
In addition to facing the Commanders, the Browns will also play preseason games against the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs. Cleveland won the Hall of Fame Game against the New York Jets 21-16, but Watson did not take to the field.
Whether Watson will definitely play in the games against the Eagles and the Chiefs remains to be seen. And it’s also uncertain how many minutes the QB will be on the field during the game against Washington.
But for Watson, he is more focused on building his performance and fitness levels. He played just six games in his first season in Cleveland and will be hoping that number is considerably higher in 2023. Playing in preseason games will be a key part of the build-up to the new season.
"Just go out there with an open mind," said Watson. "It's still very basic on what we will show and won't show. It's just operational, going out there to compete."