Browns coach Kevin Stefanski might not have intended to send the message, but the message is unmistakable.
There’s a contrast between his comments about quarterback Deshaun Watson and tight end David Njoku. Stefanski has said Watson was medically cleared to play despite a shoulder injury, but decided not to. And Stefanski has praised Njoku as a “warrior” for playing with burns on his face and arm.
Yes, Stefanski defended Watson’s decision. Stefanski said that Watson “knows his body,” that he has “played through serious pain before . . . very, very serious injuries.”
“It wasn’t a matter of pain tolerance or anything. He just did not feel like he had his full faculties,” Stefanski said.
Still, why even get into any of the details? Just call it a “collective decision,” as the team did on Sunday in response to an inquiry from PFT. Either Stefanski didn’t realize the manner in which his comment would be interpreted, or he did. Throw in the kudos to Njoku for playing with burns on his face, and there’s definitely a message.
The other wrinkle is this. Watson said on Friday that he’d play. Teammates apparently believed he’d play. When, despite having medical clearance, he didn’t, teammates might have been confused.
For most players, medical clearance is the only green light that matters. Even if they don’t have their “full faculties,” they play. In any given week, multiple players on most teams don’t have their “full faculties.” They play anyway.
Then there’s the question of whether backup quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson truly was ready to go. He took extra practice reps because Watson was limited throughout the week. But if Watson was saying he would play, did the rookie really think that, come Sunday morning, Watson would do otherwise?
This isn’t about what anyone outside the Browns organization thinks. This is about what the players in the locker room think. And there’s a message from Stefanski that could be a reflection of what they think, whether Stefanski meant to send that message to the world or not.
