The Cleveland Browns got a brutal Deshaun Watson injury update ahead of Week 11, as the $230 million quarterback needs season-ending surgery to repair his injured shoulder.

In a lengthy statement from the Browns, Watson's team disclosed two injuries, a high ankle sprain and a “displaced fracture to the glenoid.” That second injury — basically a fractured shoulder bone — will require surgery and end Watson's season.

This Deshaun Watson injury update does note at the end that “Deshaun will be placed on season-ending injured reserve and a full recovery is expected for the start of the 2024 season.”

Watson has struggled with injuries all season. Prior to this shoulder issue, he missed three games and all but 12 snaps of a fourth with another shoulder ailment. This season, Watson is 5-1 as a starter with 1,115 passing yards, a 61.4% completion rate, seven touchdowns, four interceptions, 142 rushing yards, and a rushing touchdown.

This Watson injury means PJ Walker will likely step in as the starter for the remainder of the 2023 campaign. The veteran signal-caller is 1-1 in two starts for the Browns this year with 618 passing yards, a 49.0% completion rate, one touchdown, five interceptions, and 31 rushing yards.

From a broader perspective, this Deshaun Watson season-ending injury and surgery means that after the Browns gave the QB $230 million fully guaranteed for five seasons ($46 million per year), he will now have only played 12 out of a possible 34 games in two seasons in Cleveland.

That is a tough blow for a team that is in a dogfight in the tough AFC and the even more competitive AFC North. After upsetting the Ravens in Week 10, the Browns are now 6-3, in the playoffs, and only a half-game behind the Ravens in the division.