Watson to miss 'significant time' after 2nd Achilles surgery

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson underwent a second surgery on his Achilles on Thursday, the team announced Friday.

The quarterback re-ruptured his Achilles after rolling his ankle in Miami. The issue was discovered earlier this week in his exit physical. General manager Andrew Berry told reporters Monday that Watson had suffered a setback in his recovery process.

"Watson's recovery time and return-to-play status is uncertain, and he will likely miss significant time during the 2025 season," the team said in Friday's statement.

Doctors said the recovery timeline from this surgery is at least seven months, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported, leaving a possibility that the passer could return.

Watson originally tore his Achilles on Oct. 20. He threw five touchdowns and three interceptions in seven games en route to a 1-6 record before getting hurt. This is the second straight season his season has ended prematurely due to injury after he hurt his shoulder in 2023.

If the 29-year-old misses 2025, he'll have played just 19 of a potential 85 regular-season games in the past five years, according to NFL.com's Kevin Patra. Watson originally signed a five-year, $230-million contract with the Browns in 2022, which is one of the largest contracts in NFL history.

The Browns finished the season 3-14 and hold the No. 2 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.