NFL fans prefer that star quarterbacks spend the offseason avoiding anything that could result in injury that would prevent them from leading their favorite team in the fall.
Most would rather they be surrounded by bubble wrap, but that’s obviously not the case.
Cleveland Browns star Deshaun Watson participated in the David Njoku Celebrity Game in Cleveland on Saturday, and everyone in attendance well knew that he was coming off shoulder surgery.
Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot reported that Watson gave a scare to fans at the charity event when he collided with teammate Zaire Mitchell-Paden, who was playing second base.
#Browns Deshaun Watson just gave the crowd at David Njoku’s softball game a scare. Playing 1st base, he caught a popup and collided w/#Browns TE Zaire Mitchell-Paden, playing 2nd base. He got up and signaled he was fine, and has been greeting fans near the dugout.
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) June 8, 2024
Happily for everyone involved, Watson signaled to the massive crowd that he was fine and was enthusiastically greeted by fans when he returned to the dugout.
The 28-year-old Watson last played in 2023’s comeback win over Baltimore on November 12.
He heard what he described as clicking sounds in his shoulder, but Watson remained in the game and completed all 14 passes after halftime to lead his team to victory over the powerful Ravens.
The exact impact that injured the shoulder was not determined and may have come back in September when a hit against Tennessee rocked him.
Surgery repaired the shoulder fracture and partial tear of the labrum, and by all accounts, Watson should be ready to lead the Browns this fall.
He has been up and down since signing a mammoth contract with Cleveland, though his 8-4 record under center is a plus.
But he has yet to show the magic he once displayed in Houston, and an injury at a charity softball game would have been devastating.
