The Cleveland Browns won't have Deshaun Watson under center for the second straight game after the quarterback was ruled out of Sunday's matchup against the San Francisco 49ers due to a rotator cuff contusion.
Watson is considered day-to-day and wasn't on the practice field for all three sessions this week. The 28-year-old, who sustained the ailment in Week 3 against the Tennessee Titans, also missed Cleveland's loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 4 and rested during the team's bye in Week 5.
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said on Oct. 2 that Watson was cleared by team doctors to play against the Ravens but chose to sit out after warmup. General manager Andrew Berry later said it was a "very easy decision" to sit Watson in Week 4.
Stefanski recently announced veteran P.J. Walker would replace Watson instead of Dorian Thompson-Robinson. A fifth-round rookie, Thompson-Robinson started versus Baltimore, finishing the game with 19 completions on 36 pass attempts for 121 yards and no touchdowns with three interceptions.
Walker hasn't appeared in a game this season. The 28-year-old made five starts with the Carolina Panthers in 2022, posting three TD passes to three picks.
The 2-2 Browns boast one of the NFL's premier defenses and rank second in points allowed. However, Cleveland - which also lost star running back Nick Chubb for the season in Week 2 - has struggled offensively, averaging only 19 points per game.
The 5-0 49ers are one of only two unbeaten teams left in the NFL this season.
