AFC Notes: Derrick Henry, Deshaun Watson, Browns, Ravens, Steelers

Browns

Browns QB Deshaun Watson tore his Achilles for a second time in January, which could cause him to miss the entire 2025 season. GM Andrew Berry called Watson’s injury an “unfortunate accident” and they are focused on getting him healthy again. 

“Yeah, so obviously Deshaun, he reinjured his Achilles. Unfortunately, he turned his foot [or] ankle that caused the re-tear during the normal stages of the recovery process,” Berry said, via ProFootballTalk. “I know there’s been a lot of speculation and everything out there, but there’s nothing nefarious. It’s just an unfortunate accident. So, our focus is on making sure that he gets healthy and can be back to normal.”

Berry wouldn’t give a specific timetable for his recovery but said he’ll miss “significant time.” 

“He will miss significant time,” Berry said. “How far that spans into 2025? I can’t give you a specific [answer] right now. He’s shown to be a fast healer and we’re going to try and be as thoughtful and aggressive with the recovery process, but that’s not something that I could predict at currently.”

Ravens

Veteran RB Derrick Henry has proven to be an incredible addition to the Ravens’ offense after finishing last season with 1,921 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns. GM Eric DeCosta highly praised Henry for being a complete professional since joining the team.  

“Derrick is just a phenomenal worker,” DeCosta said, via PFT. “He’s a pro. He does everything the right way, the way that he practices, the way that he takes care of his body, his mentality on the field, his leadership, his talent — he’s freakishly talented — his combination of size and speed. He was just a perfect player for us last year — the right addition, and he brought a lot to the table on the field and also off the field with intangible qualities. We’re blessed to have him, and I would expect his successes last year to continue this year.”

Henry will be entering the final year of his two-year deal in 2025. When asked about the diminishing value of running backs, DeCosta pointed to the importance of having a “historic” running back involved in their offense. 

“These are guys that touch the ball. These are guys that impact games,” DeCosta said. “I think they’re looked at as probably replaceable by some people, but if you have a great one, if you have a historic one, you can’t replace those guys. They impact the game in many different ways, and they create nightmares for defenses.”

Steelers

Steelers CB Beanie Bishop commented on being benched late in the season in favor of CB Cameron Sutton, who had his suspension lifted after eight games.

“It was just a coaching thing,” Bishop said, via SteelersWire.com. “Obviously, I felt a way about it too, as well. But whatever they thought to help us win football games, I’m going to be all for it. Because I want to be able to win and things like that. It was a big transition, starting and playing a lot to not playing that much.”