He arrived in the NFL with major hype, drafted by the Houston Texans. His impact with the team was immediate, but over time, it seemed that ego and greed overshadowed his intentions to continue with the franchise that had given him his professional start.
Unfortunately, this is an all-too-common pattern in professional sports. Players make strong first impressions on the field, delivering big performances that benefit the team above all – but then they get carried away. They start demanding the moon, forgetting that a championship-caliber squad doesn’t rely on just one individual.
With that said, things haven’t unfolded the way Deshaun Watson envisioned when he orchestrated his exit from the Texans and joined the Cleveland Browns. Since arriving in Ohio, it’s been an uphill climb. Injuries have plagued him, limiting his ability to showcase his full potential. His performance – when he has played – has been far from what was expected, and certainly not what was hoped for.
Watson underwent surgery in January and could miss the 2025 season
Following the Achilles tendon surgery he had in January of this year, all signs point to his participation in the upcoming season being in serious doubt. If confirmed, this would mean Watson has played just 19 games over four seasons since joining the Browns in 2022.
NFL analysts now speculate that Deshaun may never throw another football for the Browns. Analyst Mike Florio put it bluntly: “He sure as hell wants to (play).” He added:
“They’d love for him not to play; they have an insurance policy if he’s unable to play because of his twice-torn Achilles tendon. They get back a lot of cash, they recover a lot of space, and they really don’t need him. They’ve got four quarterbacks.”
Given Watson’s tumultuous stint with the Browns, Florio doesn’t believe a return is a strong possibility. In fact, the best move for the quarterback might be a change of scenery – or even a backup role.
“I tend to think he will be somewhere, somehow. But it’s most likely going to be with a different team, probably somewhere as a backup, who ends up in a game at some point and has a chance to prove that he’s still got some of that magic that made him the guy that looked like he could have been MVP.”
Watson still has two years left on his guaranteed $230 million contract
The fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million deal Watson signed in 2022 still has two seasons remaining. He is owed $46 million for each of those years. However, according to Florio, the Browns could save a significant amount if Watson doesn’t take the field this season – thanks to the insurance policy.
In any case, the Browns could choose to part ways with Watson at any moment. And perhaps that’s why they’ve been preparing for life without him at the quarterback position. One thing is increasingly likely: Deshaun Watson’s days in Cleveland may be numbered. Anything is possible.
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