No, Deshaun Watson is not ready for a return to the playing field, but he’s getting closer. Much, much closer.
For the first time Wednesday night since injuring his hand in the Oct. 11 win over Louisville, the Charleston Post & Courier reported, the Clemson quarterback threw a football at practice. The fact that Watson is back throwing a football less than three weeks after incurring the injury came as a bit of a shock to the true freshman’s offensive coordinator.
“Looked good. I think he’s kind of surprised everybody how far along he is right now with everything,” Chad Morris said. "[Wednesday] was his first time back into it taking actual snaps and reps, so it was good to see him back in there.”
Despise the surprise of what thus far has been a speedy recovery, don’t look for the original timeline for a return to be updated. Probably.
Morris, whose Tigers are on a bye this weekend, said its “doubtful” Watson would play in the Thursday night game next week against Wake Forest. That, though, is actually a slight upgrade as Watson’s currently listed as “out” on the official Clemson injury report for that game.
Cole Stoudt, who has started the last two games, is still expected to start against the Demon Deacons. Watson might -- might -- be available as an emergency-type quarterback if the need arises. Barring a setback, Watson is expected to return for the Nov. 15 game against Georgia Tech as the starter.
Watson remains the No. 2 quarterback in the country in passing efficiency, behind only Heisman front-runner Marcus Mariota of Oregon. In the two games Watson has started and completed -- he was injured early on in his third start-- the Tigers have averaged 45.5 points per game; in Stoudt’s four starts against FBS teams, that average is 17.7 ppg.