13 August 2023 , 18:00
1176
0
Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson has been told to continue to run the ball in preseason - even though it could risk the starting quarterback being injured.
Watson surprisingly looked to break out of the pocket and run with the ball towards defensive players in the Browns' game this weekend - something quarterbacks rarely look to do in preseason.
However, his head coach Kevin Stefanski wants his quarterback to play freely - even if that means running with the ball rather than looking to throw and be on schedule.
He told reporters: "When you’re playing this position and when you’re playing these games you can’t play timid, you really have to be true to it. Otherwise you’ll get yourself in tough spots. That’s how he’s been playing his whole life."
Indeed, Watson has played at his best when using his legs - being a very mobile quarterback with the Houston Texans before he was traded to the Browns.
Joe Burrow backs Patrick Mahomes after Kansas City Chiefs reach Super Bowl
Watson missed the first 11 games of the 2022 regular season after being suspended for violating the NFL's personal-conduct policy, before returning to the team in December.
But when he did come back, the 27-year-old looked a shell of his former self - having career-lows in all of his averages including a woeful 58 per cent completed passes while throwing just seven touchdowns in six games.
Deshaun Watson will need to bounce back from a poor 2022 seasonThat might be a reason why Watson is playing in preseason, with the majority of the starters being rested until the regular season. And Watson himself knows he needs to get back to his best, using the preseason as a way to ease himself in - starting a season for the first time in three years.
He told reporters: "I just know I'm starting off. 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. 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."
The Browns have one of the strongest rosters on paper in the entire league, and should Watson return to the All-Pro calibre player he once was, the team could find themselves as surprising Super Bowl contenders.