Deshaun Watson may be out for most, if not all, of the 2025 NFL season, but his presence within the Cleveland Browns organization has been anything but invisible. As he continues to rehab from a second Achilles tear and undergoes the long road to recovery following surgery in January, Watson has transitioned into an unexpected but crucial role of a mentor.
Though he hasn’t suited up in months, the 28-year-old quarterback has made himself a valuable asset in a different way, working closely with the Browns’ young signal callers as they battle for the starting job.
With Watson sidelined, Cleveland find themselves immersed in a full-blown four-man competition featuring Kenny Pickett, veteran Joe Flacco, rookie Dillon Gabriel, and fifth-round pick Shedeur Sanders.
Yet even without stepping onto the field in a full capacity, Watson has found a way to influence the outcome of the competition. According to cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot, he’s been highly engaged inside the quarterback room and a steady mentor for both Gabriel and Sanders during OTAs and minicamp.
Watson is the voice of wisdom
During minicamp, Gabriel spoke candidly about how helpful Watson has been as both a teacher and a sounding board. He revealed that he sits next to the former Pro Bowl quarterback during offensive and O-line meetings, soaking up as much knowledge as possible.
“He’s been a guy I’ve connected with as well, and he’s actually a guy I sit by in our O-line meetings, even in our offensive unit meetings,” Gabriel said during minicamp, via Cabot. “So just being able to be around him and nudge him and ask a question, whether it’s for confirmation or his thought, but also when we’re talking through concepts, I think it’s super cool that we do have five guys in the room that kind of can speak to their own experience and even Deshaun this morning, talking through a concept and kind of how he sees it in the red area. It can change the play in a big way, just how you think of it. So appreciate him a bunch, too. Just sharing all his knowledge.”
It’s clear Watson’s experience and football IQ remain valuable assets to the Browns, even if his cleats stay on the sideline for the foreseeable future. And while the competition between Pickett, Flacco, Gabriel, and Sanders will play out across training camp and preseason, the mentoring Watson offers may be shaping the trajectory of the team’s future more quietly but just as significantly.
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