The Browns dropped a bombshell Wednesday: Deshaun Watson is officially in concussion protocol, only four days out from their Week 9 showdown with the Saints. This news hit like a ton of bricks, especially since Watson had taken a nasty hit to the head last Sunday against the Steelers and even returned to that game. The team had to give a full breakdown because the timing simply seemed totally off.
The Timeline That Has Everyone Scratching Their Heads
So Watson took that hit to the head from Pittsburgh’s Jaquan Brisker on Sunday. He even went back into the game! That’s why when the Browns announced Wednesday that Watson was suddenly in concussion protocol, a lot of folks, myself included, were like, “Wait, what?” The team had to give a full breakdown because the timing just seemed totally off. According to the Browns, Watson was checked out by the Unaffiliated Neurotrauma Consultant right there at the game on Sunday and got a clean bill. Their own medical staff gave him the once-over Sunday night and again Monday morning, still no red flags. It wasn’t until Tuesday morning that Watson actually reported symptoms. Once he did, the team says he was “immediately” placed into protocol. The official word didn’t even drop until Wednesday morning. Wild.
Who’s Under Center and Did They Follow The Rules?
This late protocol entry is a massive problem for Week 9. Coach Todd Monken didn’t pull any punches Wednesday, saying it’s gonna be super tough for Watson to suit up. All signs point to Shedeur Sanders getting the start against the Saints. This would be huge, as it’d be Sanders’ first start of the season. Monken did say Watson “felt a lot better” Wednesday and was in meetings, which is good to hear, but no practice means no go for game day usually. Now, some might be side-eyeing the team, but the Browns are sticking to their guns that they followed the process. They point to other cases, like Tua Tagovailoa’s final concussion in 2022, which wasn’t diagnosed until the day *after* he played a full game because symptoms didn’t show up until then. Unless the NFL digs something up, it looks like the team and that on-site doctor played by the book, even with the super weird timing.
So, it looks like it’s Sanders’ show this Sunday against the Saints. This is a massive test for the young QB, stepping in cold against an NFL defense. Browns fans gotta be hoping Sanders can rally the team and keep things rolling, especially with all this wild concussion drama hanging over the squad. It’s gonna be a wild ride, that’s for sure.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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