The Cleveland Browns are slated to take the field in Seattle for their final preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday, August 24 at 10 PM ET.
This has been a long-awaited game on Browns fans' calendars. It is the one that Coach Kevin Stefanski said that Deshaun Watson would play in this game. Watson has not been on the field since last November before he succumbed to a season-ending shoulder injury requiring surgery.
The reviews of Watson's level of play in training camp have been limited. There were some concerns about his ability to throw down the field, whether that is a function of his injury recovery or the new offense implemented by OC Kevin Dorsey.
Browns fans wanted to dispel all the rumors and see Watson for themselves. Turns out they may not see him until Week 1. Kevin Stefanski said on Tuesday that all starters will play in the Seattle game; however, he will decide about Deshaun Watson later.
Three backup offensive linemen went down with injuries in the second preseason game. Starter Jedrick Wills is still on the PUP list. That means it will be an assortment of players working on the offensive line in Seattle as a stopgap until some heal and get ready for Week 1.
Keeping Watson out of his first game after shoulder surgery because of a lack of depth in the offensive line roster makes sense. Will Stefanski stick with his original plan of playing Watson to get the rust out, or will he keep him out to protect him from injury? Time will tell. The Browns have only had 12 games in the past two years with Watson as their QB1; the stakes are high for him to stay healthy and play well.
