Deshaun Watson didn’t just suffer a setback in his rehab. He suffered another tear that could keep him out of action for another season.

The Cleveland Browns quarterback suffered another rupture of his right Achilles tendon, further tests showed, and he had to undergo further surgery on Thursday to repair it, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Friday, according to sources briefed on the situation.

The new rupture comes less than three months after the original rupture, and now Watson faces a longer road back. According to Rapoport, he could miss the entire 2025 season.

Cleveland later confirmed Watson’s re-injury and surgery.

“When Watson reported to the CrossCountry Mortgage Campus earlier this week for his final physical as part of the Browns’ end-of-season process, he complained of discomfort after rolling his ankle in Miami. MRI results showed a new rupture of his Achilles tendon,” the Browns said in a statement. “Dr. Bob Anderson, a foot and ankle specialist in Charlotte, N.C., performed both surgeries. Watson’s recovery time and return to play are uncertain, and he will likely miss significant time in the 2025 season.”

On Monday, Browns general manager Andrew Berry announced that Watson had suffered a setback in rehab, raising further questions about his availability for next season.

“This is new information that I have only learned in the last few hours. So I don’t have it all yet,” Berry said at the time. “I don’t want to rule out the possibility of a serious injury occurring. We are still collecting all the information. And of course our focus is on getting him as healthy as possible.”

The new surgery restarts Watson’s schedule, and even if he is able to return sometime in 2025, it raises the question of how the already struggling quarterback would fare after the two Achilles tendon injuries. We’ve seen both Kirk Cousins ​​and Aaron Rodgers lack mobility at times after returning from hamstring injuries in 2024.