• 2 years ago
Browns QB Deshaun Watson spoke with the before practice on October, 26th 2023.
Transcript
00:00 or are you by the current situation?
00:02 - Current situation?
00:04 - Just being injured in and out?
00:06 - I mean, all I can really do is control it.
00:08 You know, that's
00:10 right now, it's just rehabbing.
00:12 Trying to come back as strong as possible.
00:14 As soon as I possibly can.
00:16 That's all I can really do right now.
00:18 - Did you rush it last week?
00:20 - I don't know.
00:22 I mean, the time limit for usually
00:24 rotating clubs are four to six weeks.
00:26 You know, I felt during the week
00:28 that I had the opportunity to play.
00:30 Right at that time of four,
00:34 three weeks, four weeks mark,
00:36 you know, I just didn't have the strength
00:38 and things like that to be able to
00:40 go out there and play four key games.
00:42 So, the medical staff,
00:44 Kevin, you know, decided
00:46 to pull me out to let them
00:48 do their thing.
00:50 Worst to it.
00:52 - When are you hoping to play again?
00:54 - I mean, as soon as possible.
00:56 So, you know, you just gotta go
00:58 through the process again.
01:00 Rehab and get back with the docs
01:02 and try to strengthen
01:04 as much as possible and get the pain away.
01:06 And try to get back in the force.
01:08 - Do you think playing last week
01:10 set you back
01:12 in your recovery?
01:14 - I'm not sure. I'm not sure
01:16 if it did or if it didn't.
01:18 At the same time, I wasn't 100% last week.
01:20 So, you know,
01:22 I just try to, like I said before,
01:24 go through the game, go through the process
01:26 and see if I can get the throws
01:28 into place. I thought I was ready.
01:30 Wasn't ready.
01:32 And at the time,
01:34 I took a hit, took a blow right to the same
01:36 area.
01:38 I hit the turf on the last
01:40 play, I guess, that I was going down.
01:42 Same
01:44 situation. Boom. Hit that.
01:46 So, it was a little shock.
01:48 So, you know, it cost me cookies.
01:50 - Hey, Jashon, you looked good
01:52 on Friday. Like, you were throwing
01:54 with velocity when we were watching you out there.
01:56 Are there days where it feels good and days
01:58 where it doesn't? - I mean, I wouldn't sit here
02:00 and say I was feeling perfect
02:02 on Friday. You know, I was pushing through
02:04 it. So, I was a little more competitive.
02:06 But, you know, I felt like I had enough.
02:08 But at the same time, though, you got to realize
02:10 the reality. The reality in practice
02:12 is very controlled, especially on Friday.
02:14 You probably fought fast Fridays for a reason.
02:16 And, you know, the fact that you can't
02:18 put in until you
02:20 actually go out there on Sundays
02:22 and go, "This is fine." You got to be able to react
02:24 and not think about each throw
02:26 and not know where you're going to
02:28 throw the ball and how you're going to throw the ball
02:30 and the velocity, the speed,
02:32 the tempo, all that stuff. So,
02:34 you know, got a little taste of it
02:36 in three or four drives, series.
02:38 And, yeah, it was
02:40 at the end of the day, it just
02:42 wasn't right. - Jashon, when they came out to look at you,
02:44 I guess you
02:46 cleared a concussion test or whatever.
02:48 At what point, though,
02:50 during that evaluation,
02:52 did the shoulder become the concern and not
02:54 a potential head injury?
02:56 - The concern was the shoulder
02:58 when we jumped. I didn't know
03:00 about the concussion until I went in the second time.
03:02 So I spotted
03:04 from up top, and the lady came down,
03:06 and that's when they... When I came out,
03:08 then I went back in, that's when
03:10 we did the professional opening. I was surprised,
03:12 too. I didn't know that was a concussion. Because the whole time
03:14 when I was down, when the docs came over,
03:16 we were speaking on the shoulder.
03:18 So, yeah, I
03:20 cleared that then.
03:22 I tried to go back in.
03:24 Kevin, AVP, and the docs came over
03:26 and spoke to me.
03:28 I wanted to go back in, but
03:30 it's a team decision.
03:32 And I felt like
03:34 of course, being the competitor, I wanted
03:36 to play and try to push it through.
03:38 But at the same time,
03:40 like I said before many times,
03:42 what's going to be the best situation for the team?
03:44 What's the best situation?
03:46 In general right now, I hear
03:48 some information. I see things written that perhaps
03:50 maybe you don't want to play.
03:52 So can you just address
03:54 the notion? Why wouldn't I want to play?
03:56 I just worked my ass off for two years
03:58 to get back to playing.
04:00 Why wouldn't I want to play? This is what I've been doing
04:02 since I was six years old.
04:04 So why wouldn't I want to play? I see the same
04:06 thing. I see all the
04:08 narratives, this, that, that.
04:10 All that stuff is just trying to call
04:12 controversy and
04:14 promotion. I'm fine.
04:16 I'm happy.
04:18 So we're working
04:28 hard to get that back.
04:30 Why wouldn't I want to play?
04:32 I don't do this for no
04:34 other reason.
04:36 I see that too. I see the whole
04:38 contract situation and all
04:40 that stuff. That stuff is just
04:42 for people to talk and just
04:44 trade that.
04:46 You might not even want to play
04:48 for the Bulldogs. You might be
04:50 looking for somewhere else to get
04:52 Why would I do that?
04:54 I'm not saying it. I'm just saying
04:56 that's just someone national
04:58 threw that out there.
05:00 None of those national people know me.
05:02 They don't talk to me.
05:04 Why would anybody listen to any of that stuff?
05:06 All that is speculation.
05:08 If it ain't coming from me, then all the
05:10 other shit is bullshit.
05:12 I thought it was important
05:14 to talk today because there's just so much
05:16 stuff swirling around. Did you
05:18 want to address it, even in a week that you're not
05:20 starting normally?
05:22 No, no. The one week I didn't talk was
05:24 a situation where I was doing something
05:26 about my career,
05:28 and it came out
05:30 that I wasn't playing.
05:32 I don't have
05:34 nothing against you guys,
05:36 but even in Houston,
05:38 it wasn't a set day that I was going to talk
05:40 and things like that. I guess it's a big deal here.
05:42 As long as you get your speak,
05:44 your interview in throughout the week,
05:46 that's what I'm used to. This is the first time
05:48 where I guess if I don't speak on Wednesdays,
05:50 it's a big deal.
05:52 I'm going to speak
05:54 as many times as I can
05:56 once a week, at least,
05:58 unless I'm told otherwise or I have something else to do
06:00 on the medical side.
06:02 Has anyone through this
06:04 process suggested
06:06 surgery or said that
06:08 at the end of the season, we might need surgery?
06:10 No, sir.
06:12 With the residual swelling, is that
06:14 something that has been lingering
06:16 since you originally did this,
06:18 or did that swelling that's in there right now
06:20 come from the hit or fall
06:22 that you took?
06:24 No, it was from the original hit. You have to remember, too,
06:26 it's like, you know, you hear doctors
06:28 and you hear people, and I think I mentioned
06:30 last week, too, is
06:32 this injury is more like, you know, you got to look at it
06:34 as a pitcher, as a thrower.
06:36 Usually, pitchers don't take collisions also.
06:38 You got to remember, too, I got hit
06:40 hard on it.
06:42 It was like a car crash. So that's going to create
06:44 more swelling than just
06:46 getting pulled back or just throwing
06:48 and it just straining itself.
06:50 There's other stuff that kind of factor in,
06:52 too, the bruising and the swelling
06:54 around the rotator cuff. I remember last time
06:56 I spoke to you,
06:58 you had mentioned that that MRI
07:00 was done the Saturday
07:02 before the game because the swelling had to go
07:04 down and that's where they found the
07:06 micro tears. Is it the same situation
07:08 right now where the
07:10 swelling has to go down a little bit for them
07:12 to take another look at it just to make sure
07:14 everything's okay?
07:16 No, we took an MRI on
07:18 the Monday. It was Thursday
07:20 and Monday.
07:22 I mean, it wasn't too much
07:26 swelling. It just, again, like I said, I hit the turf.
07:28 It caused a reaction
07:30 and it was just the best situation that I had
07:32 this rest of the game and this week.
07:34 Just get back to the drawing board
07:36 and get the treatment in
07:38 and try to build that strength around.
07:40 So, Sean, during the bye week,
07:42 Andrew Berry said that he thought
07:44 this was going to be a short-term issue,
07:46 wasn't going to linger for very long.
07:48 Is that still the case now that
07:50 we're three weeks down the line
07:52 and it's still unclear when you're going to
07:54 come back? Are you concerned that this
07:56 injury is going to linger with you
07:58 throughout the entire season because
08:00 the truth is you are going to get hit once you
08:02 come back. Well, yeah, but at the same
08:04 time, throughout those weeks that I'm out
08:06 playing, I am doing strength work
08:08 and building the muscle around it.
08:10 So, I'm not
08:12 sure if it's going to linger or if it's not,
08:14 but in the situation right now,
08:16 it's more of just being able to control the ball
08:18 and things like that. Like I said
08:20 before, I try to push through the pain.
08:22 You asked me about Friday. Friday
08:24 was a sharp control day,
08:26 but it's not that I didn't have
08:28 any type of resistance
08:30 to throwing the football.
08:32 So, at some point
08:34 whenever I do get back out there, I might
08:36 not. I'm not sure.
08:38 This is the first time I'm dealing with it, so I'm just
08:40 taking it as it comes and controlling what I can control.
08:42 But right now,
08:44 we're not in a space where I should be
08:46 out there right now. So it's possible you're going to come back
08:48 at some point and not be 100% and have to
08:50 still kind of work through this?
08:52 Of course. But I don't think anybody is going to be
08:54 100% throughout the year.
08:56 Regardless if you're healthy or if you're not healthy,
08:58 once you get to November, December,
09:00 January, football, no one is
09:02 100% healthy. So I'm trying to get to
09:04 a percentage where I can go out there
09:06 and be very, very beneficial for the team
09:08 when they're like me.
09:10 Do you feel like you're on the same page with the team
09:12 as far as this week deciding to let
09:14 you focus on rehab?
09:16 Of course. We all just came together.
09:18 There's no
09:20 negative vibes or negative energy
09:22 with this team or this locker room or anything.
09:24 Before and to, there's this energy
09:26 in this locker room and this team
09:28 and the coaches outside the front office. We're in a great
09:30 space. We enjoy our victories.
09:32 We don't care how we get them as long as we get those W's.
09:34 We keep it pushing. We keep it going.
09:36 It's always the next man up.
09:38 All the other stuff outside
09:40 and always we don't pay attention to.
09:42 Have you tried to throw this week?
09:44 Here and there a little bit.
09:46 But you've got to take
09:48 steps. You can't just jump
09:50 where we want to be right now.
09:52 They're doing a lot
09:54 to pretty much hold me back
09:56 and not try to throw too much
09:58 and do certain
10:00 things. I've just got to follow
10:02 the steps and go from there.
10:04 Going off of that,
10:06 you've played injured in your career
10:10 before. For all
10:12 the fans that are giving you flack, can you
10:14 explain how this is different
10:16 than other injuries that you've
10:18 suffered in the past?
10:20 You hit it right on the head. I've played with injuries
10:24 before. Being
10:26 a quarterback, you have to throw the ball.
10:28 I have a blessed
10:30 ability to be able to run the ball and the
10:32 stint plays and things like that, but every quarterback
10:34 don't need that.
10:36 If I use my left shoulder,
10:38 then I can still use my right shoulder.
10:40 But since I can't use my right shoulder,
10:42 that's my throwing arm.
10:44 It's hard to direct the ball.
10:46 It's hard to get the ball where I want it to get to
10:48 pass a certain amount, a certain
10:50 velocity while the finish is right around.
10:52 It's the
10:54 one thing that I need to play
10:56 the position at the high level, especially.
10:58 Like I said
11:00 before, it's like asking a receiver
11:02 to add a hamstring and go run.
11:04 It's crazy.
11:06 With everything
11:08 that's happened in the
11:10 last two years, long way on,
11:12 how have you
11:14 been able to stay in the game?
11:16 I've been good. I've been staying true to
11:18 me. I'm very, very
11:20 secure with myself.
11:22 I'm not in an arrogant way, but I know who I am.
11:24 That's how I've been.
11:26 I've stayed sane and stayed
11:28 true to me. But the most important thing is
11:30 I know my Lord and Savior.
11:32 I stay close to Him. I stay close to
11:34 the ones that love me, the ones that really support me.
11:36 I just focus on that.
11:38 All the other stuff,
11:40 speak negative
11:42 or things like that, I just stay away from it.
11:44 I just stay on my own. I don't bother nobody.
11:46 I go to work. I do what I need
11:48 to do. I love
11:50 being around my teammates
11:52 and this organization. I just stay
11:54 focused on that.
11:56 You said you weren't wrecked. Those are your words.
11:58 Did you know that as soon as you threw that
12:00 first pass to Jerome
12:02 Ford that
12:04 hit the ground?
12:06 No, not at all. That was the first play of the game.
12:08 A lot of quarterbacks do that.
12:10 They miss a hit or miss a slam
12:12 early on. That's the first play of the game.
12:14 Jerome was going opposite of the way
12:16 we were actually running. The fan was coming
12:18 and instead of a ball
12:20 popped up or something like that
12:22 happening,
12:24 it just went right at his feet.
12:26 So when did you know
12:28 you weren't ready?
12:30 At the end of the day,
12:32 I got hit
12:34 and the injury was there.
12:36 It wasn't like an injury
12:38 where I got hit and
12:40 the play was good. It was a painful
12:42 injury during that process when we were
12:44 under the tent. That's when we just knew
12:46 it wasn't the time.
12:48 That four to six week time frame
12:50 that you initially told us about
12:52 last week, is that
12:54 the same as it was originally or
12:56 did the clock reset at all
12:58 when you took this new hit?
13:00 The four to six time frame,
13:02 I think that's the generic
13:04 timeline for this
13:06 normal or just
13:08 rotating play.
13:10 I'm saying that because that's what
13:12 the research says. That's what
13:14 doctors typically say.
13:16 Pitchers and baseball guys
13:18 and all the research that we did.
13:20 It can be longer.
13:22 I don't know.
13:24 I just don't know.
13:26 The medical staff, the coaching
13:28 staff, myself feel very, very
13:30 comfortable that I can go out there and be
13:32 a quarterback. People saw it in Tennessee.
13:34 Then we just got to
13:36 take it day by day. I think that's what
13:38 Kevin has been saying. That's what he's been trying to say.
13:40 There's no certain timeline
13:42 on a certain
13:44 injury. Some people's bodies react
13:46 differently. People
13:48 the way they come back react
13:50 differently. It might be shorter. It might be
13:52 longer. That's why I said it could be
13:54 tomorrow. It could be next week. I don't know.
13:56 You just have to take it day by day.
13:58 Thank you.
14:00 - Congratulations. - Thank you so much.

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