Deshaun Watson wanted to play on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers. However, the Cleveland Browns opted to rule him out, allowing the quarterback more time to recover from a bruised right rotator cuff.
This means that the 49ers will be up against quarterback P.J. Walker. While fans might breathe a sigh of relief, the 49ers are approaching this matchup without underestimating Walker's potential to impact the game's outcome.
"I've always been a fan of his (Walker) over the years," head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters on Friday. "He's got experience. He's a vet. He can hurt you with his legs. He can hurt you with his arm. I think when he's gotten his opportunities in this league, he's done a good job."
The 49ers might have one advantage in their corner. Defensive coordinator Steve Wilks is familiar with Walker from their time together with the Carolina Panthers last season.
"Having Steve be familiar with him in Carolina helps a lot," Shanahan noted. "I don't have to look too much into it. I know Steve's got a good feel, what his pluses and minuses are, and we've been preparing it all week like it could be this, too."
Sunday will be the 20th meeting between the 49ers and Browns, with the former winning 12 of those contests. San Francisco seeks to secure their 16th consecutive regular-season victory, potentially setting a new franchise record. Although, that's not a priority in the coach's mind.
"I got so much respect for the history here and those teams, but, I mean, it's a record over two seasons," Shanahan said. "It's cool, but it's not really, though. It's over two seasons, and it'd be cool to do that all in one season. But it's better than not doing it. We're happy about it. It'd be a cool thing to do, but I don't think it's that big of a deal, personally."