Maybe, just maybe…it’s time for Deshaun Watson to see the forest before the trees.
On Friday, January 10, the Cleveland Browns reported that Watson, 29, had undergone surgery on Thursday after tearing his right Achilles tendon for the second time in as many months. He initially tore his Achilles on Oct.29, which marked his second straight season that had ended due to injury – he missed the second half of the 2023 season due to an injury on his throwing shoulder.
This latest injury caps off what has been a largely unproductive three-year run as the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns, after building what looked like the foundation of a Hall of Fame career as a Houston Texan. From his multiple injuries on the field and his personal issues off of it, it’s very likely that Browns QB Deshaun Watson’s career could be over before it truly began.
WATSON’S TEXAS TWO-STEP
After a marvelous career at Clemson University, where he was a national champion, Watson was drafted with the 12th overall pick by the Houston Texans in 2017. After coming off the bench to start the season, Watson was on his way to becoming one of the top 10 QB’s in the league very early on. In the first 7 games of the year, here was his statistical breakdown:
| Games Played | Completions | Attempts | Yards | Average | TD | INT | Rating | QBR |
| 7 | 126 | 204 | 1,699 | 8.3 | 19 | 8 | 103 | 83.7 |
However, during practice for Week 8, Watson tore the ACL in his right knee (three years after tearing the ACL in his left knee), and was ruled out for the rest of the season. As a result of that, the Texans slumped their way to a 4-12 finish, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2014. Watson was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team.
Watson would return in time for 2018, and over the course of the next three seasons, he would become one of the most prolific quarterbacks in the NFL. Not only did he play nearly every game over the next three years, he cemented himself as one of the top 5 quarterbacks in the NFL, throwing for or nearly throwing for 4,000 yards over those seasons (his 4,823 yards. 382 completions, and 33 touchdowns in 2020 were a franchise record, despite missing the playoffs).
And then the 2020 off-season happened.
DESHAUN WATSON FALLS OFF THE BULL
After the 2020 season, Watson had requested a trade from the Houston Texans, stating that he was disgruntled with the multiple changes in the front office and coaching staff. According to reports, Watson was frustrated with the Texans after going through three head coaches in one year – Bill O’Brien, who had been Watson’s coach since his rookie year, was fired after starting the season 0-4.
O’Brien was replaced by interim head coach Romeo Crennel, who went 4-8. Crennel was not retained and was replaced with David Culley. Sources close to him reported that Watson asked for the trade before the Culley hire, as he was upset that the team didn’t make a move for Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy (they would ultimately interview him as a token move). He also wasn’t thrilled about his being ignored when it came to their general manager search; the team ultimately hired Nick Caserio.
The Texans and DeShaun Watson ended up in a Texas-sized standoff. The team wasn’t willing to part with their franchise QB after years of struggling to identify their future leader, especially after inking him to a 4-year extension worth $156 million ($110 million of that was guaranteed, including $73.7 million immediately upon signing the extension). They would not entertain any trade offers, and Watson, while he participated in training camp, wasn’t willing to suit up for the team.
Months later, between March and April of 2021, Watson was the subject of a massive sexual assault allegation, in which 22 lawsuits were filed against him by multiple women in the Houston area, as well as California. While all but one of the 22 pending cases would eventually be settled, Watson would lose sponsorships from Beats By Dre, H-E-B, Nike, and Reliant Energy.
This was only the beginning of what would be a consequential 2021 season not just for Watson, but the team itself. Watson was ruled out for the entire 2021 season for “non-injury reasons/personal matter), while the team finished 4-13, finising 3rd in the AFC South, which ended up costing both head coach David Culley and offensive coordinator Tim Kelly their jobs.
After the 2021 season, Houston decided to commit to a full-scale franchise reset, which included shopping the beleaguered Watson. Word around the league came quick, and multiple teams, including the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, and Cleveland Browns, expressed interest. There was a collective shock heard around the world when it was announced that the Cleveland Browns had agreed to a deal with the Texans to acquire Watson – but it wasn’t just the player…it was the haul Houston was getting in return. Houston, while they were parting with Watson and their 2024 sixth-round pick, were getting back the following from Cleveland:
- First-round draft picks in 2022, 2023, and 2024
- Third-round pick in 2023
- Fourth-round picks in 2022 and 2024
Watson also signed a fully guaranteed five-year deal worth $230 million – the largest and most guaranteed money in NFL history (this would lead to an unspoken “gentlemen’s agreement” between the rest of the league’s owners to ensure no other quarterback received this kind of deal – but that’s for another column). All this…and his playing status was still unknown.
CATASTROPHE IN CLEVELAND
Watson’s Rapid Downfall
Before Watson could even wear the burnt orange Browns jersey, he was suspended for the first six games of the season by an independent arbiter – this was eventually stretched to 11 games after the NFL appealed the suspension (they were looking for a full season), and the NFL Players’ Association fought back, which led to a settlement as well as a $5 million fine.
Watson would make his Cleveland Browns debut on November 28, 2022 – ironically, against his former team, the Houston Texans. While the Browns won 27-14, it wasn’t because of Watson; he posted the worse passer rating of his career (53.4), and threw for 131 yards and one interception. He finished the season with a 3-3 record, throwing for 1,102 yards (the lowest of his career), 7 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions, while amassing a QBR of 40.4 – also the lowest of his career.
The next couple of seasons did not fare better for Watson – in 2023, he started the first six games of the season before suffering a season-ending injury to his throwing shoulder. He wasn’t necessarily setting the world on fire before the injury – seven touchdowns, four interceptions, and 1,115 passing yards – as he looked like a shell of his former self, still trying to gather his bearing after missing nearly two full seasons of football.
This season was an absolute nightmare, as not only were his stats worse than 2023 – don’t let the 1,148 passing yards distract you from the fact that he only threw five touchdown passes compared to three interceptions, but was also sacked 33 times – the Browns were 1-6 in his starts, having to turn to journeyman Jameis Winston after his injury. The Browns would finish this season 3-14, locking down the number two pick in this upcoming NFL Draft, where it’s almost guaranteed now that they will draft either University of Miami quarterback Cam Ward or University of Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
WHAT DOES WATSON DO NEXT?
The Browns’ Next Move
The Cleveland Browns are in a hell of a pickle with the way Watson’s contract is set up: he’s got a full no-trade clause through 2026, his salary is guaranteed through that same time frame, when he becomes a free agent. His dead cap hit is nearly $173 million, so they can’t even release him. No team in their right mind – contender or not – would consider taking on a contract that is such a poison pill that even Snow White could smell it from a million miles away.
So, as far as the team is concerned, they are paying for a guy who not only will not be suiting up for them next year, but when he does come back, will be returning to a locker room that won’t accept him, a fanbase that actively cheered when he got hurt, and likely a new head coach as well that will not want him as their starter. At the same time, the new coach won’t have a choice but to start Watson, because otherwise you have the most expensive back-up in the history of the NFL.
Now, let’s get to what Deshaun Watson should consider. He is guaranteed $92 million over the next two years – of which he will only be playing one. He won’t be able to finesse his way to a contending team, and his body has more or less told him that it doesn’t want to play football anymore. If a normal person were in this position to be financially successful, it’s almost a guarantee that they take the money and run. In the case of Watson, seeing everything that has occurred over his career, he should do the same.
At 29, he’s already set for the rest of his life, and can comfortably take care of his family. That’s all a man could ask for.
