The setback that Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson suffered to his previously injured Achilles tendon was reportedly a new tear that required surgery.

The team announced Friday that Watson “complained of feeling unwell after rolling his ankle in Miami” and that a subsequent MRI revealed he had ruptured his Achilles tendon for a second time:

Browns general manager Andrew Berry told reporters Monday that Watson had suffered a setback in his rehab, but they were still gathering information about the extent of the incident.

“This is new information that I have only received in the last few hours. So I don’t have everything yet,” Berry said. “I don’t want to rule anything out if there is a serious injury. We are still collecting all the information. And of course our focus is to make sure he gets as healthy as possible.”

Watson underwent surgery on October 25 to repair a torn Achilles tendon he suffered five days earlier in a 21-14 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Although Achilles tendon tears are becoming more common in the NFL, it is not an injury that has often occurred multiple times for the same player. The most recent example is running back Cam Akers, who did it in July 2021 and November 2023.

Akers returned to the Los Angeles Rams late in the 2021 season and helped them on their way to the Super Bowl. This season he played for the Houston Texans and the Minnesota Vikings at times and appeared in 17 regular season games.

There is no historical precedent for a quarterback suffering multiple Achilles tendon injuries, especially in such close proximity to one another.

Watson’s playing status for next season was already uncertain before the second Achilles tendon tear. After that he would be on the Browns roster restructuring His contract expired in December, but the team appeared likely to pursue a quarterback either in the draft or free agency who could at least compete for the starting job in 2025 given Watson’s struggles.

This setback all but ensures that the Browns will explore various options to expand their quarterback room next season. They own the No. 2 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Due to injuries and suspensions, Watson has only appeared in 19 games for the Browns over the last three seasons. He finished that season with 1,148 passing yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions in seven games.