Thursday offered some key injury news on either side of Sunday’s 49ers-Browns matchup.
No Deshaun Watson
The Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback is not expected to play on Sunday. According to Josina Anderson of CBS Sports, Deshaun Watson is out with a lingering shoulder injury.
He missed last week’s 28-3 Browns loss to the Baltimore Ravens with a bruised rotator cuff and is now set to miss a second-straight game despite the Browns’ bye week last week.
Watson, of course, was given a five-year, $230 million contract after being traded to Cleveland from the Houston Texans.
He was suspended for 11 games in 2022 regarding allegations of sexual misconduct and sexual assault during massages. There were 25 women who sued Watson using attorney Tony Buzbee. One woman dropped her claim when required to add her name to the suit, and 24 others settled their cases in August. One woman, Lauren Baxley, declined to settle, and has an open civil case.
The Texans reached a settlement agreement with 30 women who accused the team of turning a blind eye towards his misconduct in July of last year.
It’s important to remember who the Browns chose as their franchise quarterback, and gave an unprecedented, fully-guaranteed contract to.
Injury reports
As it stands, it seems like there’s only one player who the 49ers have a worry about being available for Sunday: Dre Greenlaw.
Greenlaw missed his second-straight day of practice on Thursday with a hamstring injury while Elijah Mitchell (knee) returned to practice for the first time in a couple weeks and Aaron Banks (shoulder) was also limited.
Kyle Shanahan said the following on KNBR with Tolbert and Copes:
Two of them practiced today, Banks and Elijah, so they got through practice, which is a good sign. Dre couldn’t go today, so hopefully he’ll feel better tomorrow.
In addition to Watson, the Browns had three other players who did not practice on Thursday:
- G Joel Bitonio (knee)
- TE David Njoku (hand, face)
- WR Cedric Tillman (hip)
- QB Deshaun Watson (right shoulder)
Njoku played the Browns’ last game after suffering serious burns to his face and hands. He shared a photo of those injuries which are not for those who are squeamish.
Cleveland’s star edge rusher Myles Garrett has also been limited along with a former Seahawk:
- DE Myles Garrett (foot)
- C Ethan Pocic (chest, knee, foot)
Garrett was in a walking boot at the start of this week, and his status is unclear, though you’d imagine a player of his caliber would find a way to suit up for an opponent of the 49ers’ caliber.
It’s also worth nothing that there is currently a chance of rain and winds in the high teens for Sunday’s matchup, which could make things interesting.