Deshaun Watson‘s surgically repaired shoulder wasn’t supposed to be one of the major storylines coming out of Browns minicamp. But after longtime Cleveland Browns reporter Mary Kay Cabot suggested the quarterback’s arm appeared to “tail off” during offseason work, one local analyst believes the conversation points to a much bigger issue surrounding Cleveland’s quarterback future.

“The fact that she’s even mentioning it means she saw something,” Mike Lucas said on the Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show. “… We get the preseason, where you can get hit. And then you look at his track record with two Achilles tears, with an ACL tear back in Houston, with the weird shoulder injury, that there’s never been a precedent for in the NFL.

“And you add all that together, and I’m thinking to myself, saying, ‘There’s not a chance in hell this guy is going to be healthy enough to survive an entire season, rather less, maybe one or two games of an NFL season, if that’s the outcome.’”  

According to Cabot, Shedeur Sanders took first-team reps on the first day of the mandatory minicamp, while Watson took them on the second day. From her observations, she suspected that “he got the slightest bit of fatigue in his surgically repaired shoulder,” Cabot said on Orange and Brown Talk.

There was a lot of optimism around Watson during the offseason, as it looked like his mobility had improved. Watson injured his Achilles tendon twice in the last two years, which was a big concern. However, it looks like the shoulder injury might be an equally big problem.

Cabot believed the heavy workload on Watson’s throwing arm during this offseason’s camps may have brought on the fatigue. After all, this is probably the first time it has gotten so much load since he underwent surgery to repair the injured shoulder in 2023.

After the Browns wrapped up their minicamp, Cabot also noted that the veteran QB returned to the facility with his private physiotherapist at the end of June. 

Watson has long been the presumed winner of the ongoing QB1 competition. However, with doubts surrounding the senior QB’s health, the narrative may swing towards Sanders.

“If we’re even having remote discussions on him showing shoulder fatigue in a situation where he should be the most fresh he is all season, then where are we going to be at in September, after a game where this remade offensive line may or may not be able to protect him to the level that’s needed,” Lucas added. “There’s no way that ends well.”

Fortunately for Cleveland, Sanders is developing pretty well through the offseason. His growth has been “phenomenal,” according to general manager Andrew Berry. And as the Browns march closer to training camp, the QB battle continues to attract more attention.