Deshaun Watson may be itching for a return, yet most would rather never see him take another snap with the Cleveland Browns.

Watson has been working his way back since suffering the initial injury in October. He re-injured the Achilles in January, and the Browns announced he would miss “significant time” during the coming season.

To open the year, Watson has been placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. While this does not rule him out for the season, it does guarantee he’ll miss at least the first four games.

The Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show recently debated whether Watson could reclaim the Browns’ starting job this season at some point.

Panelists Adam “the Bull” Gerstenhaber, Jason Lloyd, and Tyvis Powell agreed it’s highly unlikely — but left the door open slightly, noting that when it comes to the Browns, anything can happen.

“He better not. We are at the point now where they have put their fanbase through enough.

Don’t do this again. There is nothing left there. He was broken the last time we saw him,” Lloyd said.

“If he wants to rejuvenate his career, more power to him. But not here.

Lloyd continued, “I don’t think he’s ever going to play again. They drafted two rookies and the owner said it was a mistake.

Does that sound like a team ready to put him back out on the field?”

Deshaun Watson Recently Worked Out for Browns

Throughout his recovery, Watson has remained engaged at the team’s facility, participating in meetings and supporting his teammates.

It’s a change from the past, where Watson was rarely a presence as he recovered from injuries.

“Deshaun’s doing awesome, he’s doing great,” Stefanski said recently. “I’m excited for him. I get to watch him work out as well.

I get to be in the meeting room with him every single day. So, he’s doing great.”

Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reported that Watson recently went through a throwing workout, with general manager Andrew Berry, coach Kevin Stefanski and owner Jimmy Haslam looking on.

“What they saw was a quarterback who’s dropping back with agility and ease, and launching the ball downfield with good velocity,” Cabot said.

“He looked good in the workout, and if they didn’t know any better, they never would’ve guessed that he had undergone surgery in January to repair his retorn Achilles.”

Browns Will Face Decision on Deshaun Watson

Through social media, Watson has made it clear he intends to return as soon as possible. And once he’s healthy, it sets up a difficult decision for the Browns.

“There could be a showdown in Cleveland over whether a guy is truly healthy,” Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk said.

“I’m convinced that at some point this season, Deshaun Watson is going to show up with a clean bill of health and say, ‘I’m ready to go.’ Then they’ll have three choices: put him on the roster, cut him and take a $130 million cap charge next year, or fight back and say, ‘You’re not healthy.’

The Browns are carrying starter Joe Flacco as well as rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders on their active roster. Cleveland recently signed Bailey Zappe to their practice squad.