Deshaun Watson focused on load management as he progresses from shoulder injury

Watson is continuing to progress in his rehab from the right shoulder surgery that ended his 2023 season. He suffered an injury in their win over the Ravens in Week 12, and an MRI revealed a displaced fracture to the glenoid in his shoulder. Since the surgery, Watson has spent time rehabbing his shoulder, following a a customized program that will allow him to ramp up and set him up to return and be fully ready to play.

“I think in this process right now, it’s all about load management and not doing too much, even though I probably could,” Watson said. “So yeah, we just make sure that we take it day by day and we do exactly what everyone came on months before got on that call and we put the plan together just to make sure we’re on the right track and stay on the right track and not getting ahead of ourselves.”

As he has followed the steps of the program, Watson said that his shoulder is responding and that he feels confident in their process and the progress he has made. Watson said that he has been able to throw the ball at full speed with no limitations in motion or velocity, has the strength in his throw, and that the mechanics of this throw have not changed.

Watson said that there is not a specific timeline or date of when they believe he will be 100 percent healthy, as they are monitoring how he hits each milestone and how his shoulder responds to each step. However, Watson said that the glenoid has fully healed, and he is working on building his endurance and the management of throwing the football consistently without getting tired.

“I’m doing everything that the doctors have planned out,” Watson said. “So, if it’s throwing 60 balls, if it’s throwing 40 balls a day, it varies. And they have a very strategic program for my shoulder. So, it goes up, down, up, down. For me, I just take it one day at a time.”