It’s been eight months since Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson has played a competitive down in a football contest.
After finishing off a come-from-behind victory over the Baltimore Ravens on November 12, Watson underwent surgery to repair a fractured bone in his throwing shoulder.
Watson had been limited to throwing every other day until recently, revealing last week he is now throwing daily to prepare for the 2024 regular season.
As Watson nears his return to action in less than two months, analyst Matt Fontana made a bold prediction for how he believes the quarterback could appear in the season-opening contest against the Dallas Cowboys.
The “Matt Fontana Show” Twitter account shared a video clip of the titular host explaining how he predicts Watson will experience relief in the midst of one of his biggest games wearing a Cleveland uniform.
“Watson throws a missile, and he threads a needle, or he throws this out route, and I think I can almost visualize the weight coming off (his shoulders),” Fontana said, motioning with his body to articulate his point.
As the #Browns enter camp next week, Deshaun Watson revealed he's been throwing daily. We're not far away from Watson attempting to rewrite his story Week One at home.
"I can picture this. Season opener with Tom Brady and crew. Watson throws a missile while threading the needle… pic.twitter.com/Rf6OxqTpiy
— Matt Fontana Show (@MattFontanaShow) July 18, 2024
The weight Fontana alluded to is the pressure to perform for Watson in 2024, a season the Browns are expecting to not only contend for a playoff berth but also make a deep postseason run.
Fontana explained that with Watson’s extended time away from the game, self-doubt surrounding his ability to perform in an NFL game is likely in the quarterback’s mind.
The analyst said that fans have the same doubts about Watson heading into the season-opening contest after the quarterback played in only 12 games over the past three seasons.
NEXT: Insider Reveals Nick Chubb's Likely Status For Training Camp
