Why Deshaun Watson's return to practice might not mean anything for the Browns

On Wednesday morning, Cleveland Browns fans who were likely feeling embarrassed by the team’s 3-9 record probably felt a little bit worse.

That’s because the Browns announced that they are opening the 21-day practice window for controversial quarterback Deshaun Watson to make his return to the practice field on Wednesday.

While Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed that Watson will be participating in individual drills and eventually could run scout team quarterback, there’s no guarantee that Watson will play in a real game ever again.

The 21-day practice window means the Browns have three weeks to activate Watson or keep him on the PUP list for the remainder of the regular season. Three weeks from Wednesday would put the Browns at Christmas Eve, if they decide to use the entire window to make that decision.

Stefanski refused to comment on the possibility of Watson playing a real game for the Browns.

"Really not my focus. Not his focus right this minute," Stefanski said. "His focus is putting a helmet on, shoulder pads, throwing a football."

While that certainly makes it seem like the Browns will slowplay Watson’s return to action, anything is possible for a desperate team dealing with yet another three-win debacle.

During the preseason, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam took accountability for the failed trade, calling it a “swing and miss.” However, Haslam also stated that last season’s three-win results were not good enough. Pressure could be increasing in Berea.

The Browns gave third-round rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel five starts. While he took care of the football, his games were very underwhelming as his physical limitations proved that he is not a gamechanger at the next level.

Currently, the Browns are giving polarizing rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders his long-awaited opportunity to start games. Sanders won his first start against the Las Vegas Raiders before coming back to life against the San Francisco 49ers.

Sanders is in line to start Cleveland’s Week 14 matchup against the Tennessee Titans, who are the worst team in the NFL.

Stefanski had been reluctant to play Sanders. If he struggles against the Titans, it’s plausible that the Browns would want to reinsert Gabriel or perhaps take one final look at Watson.

The Browns wasted another season due to incompetent quarterback planning and find themselves in the basement of the AFC North, which is the worst division in the NFL at the moment. That reality could cause them to take one more look at Watson, a player who has dealt with three major injuries and a suspension that caused him to miss multiple seasons of football.

Simply opening his practice window might not mean anything for the Browns, who are in evaluation mode and should be giving every rep to their rookie quarterbacks.