Browns’ Deshaun Watson re-torn his Achilles while recovering from the injury and underwent second surgery | News, results, highlights, stats and gossip

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson’s injury to his previously injured Achilles tendon turned out to be a new tear requiring surgery.

The team announced Friday that Watson “complained of discomfort after spraining his ankle in Miami” and that a subsequent MRI showed he had torn his Achilles tendon a second time:

Browns general manager Andrew Berry he told reporters on Monday that Watson had suffered setbacks in rehabilitation, but they were still gathering information on the extent of what happened.

“This is new information that I have learned in the last few hours. So I don’t have everything yet,” Berry said. “I don’t want to rule out anything that involves a serious injury. We are still collecting all the information. And, of course, our focus is to make sure he recovers as well as possible.”

Watson had surgery Oct. 25 to repair a torn Achilles he suffered five days earlier in a 21-14 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

While Achilles tears are becoming more common in the NFL, it’s not an injury that often happens to the same player multiple times. The most recent example is the running back by Cam Akers, who did so in July 2021 and November 2023.

Akers returned late in the 2021 season with the Los Angeles Rams, helping them run to the Super Bowl. This season, he split time with the Houston Texans and Minnesota Vikings, appearing in 17 regular season games.

There is no historical precedent for a quarterback suffering multiple Achilles tendon injuries, especially in such close proximity to each other.

Watson’s status for next season was already uncertain before his second Achilles tear. He was expected to be on the Browns roster after that game restructuring his contract in December, but the team appeared likely to acquire a point guard in the draft or in free agency who could at least compete for a starting spot in 2025 due to Watson’s struggles.

This loss ensures that the Browns will be looking at various options to add to their quarterback lineup next season. They hold the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Watson has appeared in only 19 games for the Browns over the past three seasons due to injuries and suspension. He finished that season with 1,148 passing yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions in seven games.