Deshaun Watson could return to the training field surprisingly quickly. Nevertheless, an early comeback for the quarterback with the Cleveland Browns seems unlikely.

Will Deshaun Watson return to training just nine months after surgery on his torn right Achilles tendon?

That is at least one option, according to reporter Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com, citing sources within the league.

Watson suffered the serious injury in Week 7 of last season in his Cleveland Browns game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

According to Cabot, “it remains to be seen whether the Browns will let him return to training so soon.” After all, the operation will only have been nine months ago in October.

However, it is difficult to predict whether the 29-year-old will even play for the Browns next season. Even if he is fit, he faces stiff competition.

Fierce competition among quarterbacks at the Browns

The Browns currently have four other quarterbacks on their roster: Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco, as well as rookies Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel.

Following comments made by owner Jimmy Haslam in April, it could even be that Watson will not play another game for the Cleveland team.

Speaking on the sidelines of the owners’ meeting in Florida, Haslam said of Watson’s signing: “It was a huge failure. We thought we had our quarterback, but we didn’t. Now we’ve dug ourselves into a hole.”

In fact, the trade is considered one of the worst in the NFL since the turn of the millennium. The quarterback was traded from the Houston Texans to the Browns in 2023 for three first-round picks.

There, he received a fully guaranteed contract worth $230 million, of which Watson will receive $46 million over the next two years.

He has never been able to prove that he deserves this monster contract. Due to suspensions and injuries, he has only played 19 of 54 possible games.