Steelers Rival Still Faces QB Uncertainty

The Browns continue to have questions surrounding the Deshaun Watson situation. Watson returned to the field last week but aggravated his rotator cuff injury. The injury has frustrated Watson and the Browns, as he has yet to gain full motion in his shoulder and can not drive the football with regularity. Still, the Steelers will see Watson in about a month, as the Browns do not expect to put him on injured reserve, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Cleveland could still be without Watson for another two weeks. The injury is a strain of the subscapularis muscle of the rotator cuff. He has already missed several games with the injury while trying to recover from it as it has lingered. But the Browns have stayed afloat under the guide of P.J. Walker and his solid play.

The Browns quarterback was initially injured in a Week 3 game against the Tennesse Titans. He finished that game but could not play the following week against the Baltimore Ravens when rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson replaced him. Watson is healthy enough that he could play but not healthy enough that he can play well. Schefter reported that a subscapularis strain usually causes baseball pitchers to miss four to six weeks. Watson has already been dealing with the injury for five weeks.

Walker will start this Sunday when the Browns travel to face the Seattle Seahawks. They have another NFC game the following week before back-to-back AFC North battles against the Baltimore Ravens on Nov. 12 and Steelers on Nov. 19. Watson’s ability to return in time for those divisional contests will be an essential factor.

Despite Watson’s injury and the questions, the Browns have won two of the three games he missed, beating the San Francisco 49ers in Week 6 and the Indianapolis Colts after he left Sunday’s game.