Deshaun Watson held out of practice, status for preseason finale up in the air

Try searching for a positive news item on Deshaun Watson from this offseason or training camp. It might take a while.

And this time we're just talking about positive news on the field.

The reviews of Watson in camp have been lukewarm at best and there was another bit of bad news on Wednesday: Watson was held out of practice with a sore shoulder and his status for the preseason finale Saturday night at the Seattle Seahawks is up in the air, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski told Cleveland media.

Watson hasn't played all preseason, in part because he's recovering from shoulder surgery. He was expected to play this weekend but that's uncertain due to his shoulder.

The Browns need Watson to be healthy to reach their potential, and they've got to be nervous about that proposition now.

Watson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in a game against the Baltimore Ravens last season and then had surgery. The bigger problem is Watson rarely played well for the Browns before that injury, and now his shoulder complicates things further.

Deshaun Watson dealing with shoulder issue

The Watson story is well known by now. The Browns made a massive trade in 2022 with the Texans for Watson, who sat out a season waiting to be dealt. The Browns then signed him to an unprecedented $230 million guaranteed contract. The trade and contract look worse with each passing day.

Watson was suspended 11 games his first Browns season due to sexual misconduct. He missed most of his second Browns season due to injury. When he has played he has rarely looked anything like the player he was at his peak in Houston.

Watson's third Browns season was supposed to be better. But the mystery surrounding his shoulder has become a concerning issue, even if Stefanski said he was not overly concerned. It's hard to believe that at this point.

Browns were depending on Watson

The Browns won 11 games last season and made the playoffs, and that was despite many quarterback changes. Joe Flacco brought some stability late in the season. If Watson could have played at an even average level the Browns should have been a Super Bowl contender in the AFC.

Maybe Watson can have a good season. We just don't know. The injury reports with his shoulder aren't helping clarify the situation. Jameis Winston was signed as the backup, and perhaps we'll see more of him this season than the Browns wanted.

Whatever this season holds for the Browns and Watson, with a little more than two weeks before the opener, there are many more questions than answers. That's not what the Browns are paying for.