Deshaun Watson (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
It’s also been a tumultuous season for Deshaun Watson and the Cleveland Browns.
The former Houston Texans superstar has struggled for the last-place Browns, who dropped to 1-6 after making it to the playoffs in 2023, thanks to Joe Flacco and his good play.
The 29-year-old Watson is ranked 31st for adjusted total QB ratings of statistically qualified players, and it won’t get any better after he suffered a right Achilles injury during a noncontact play in Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The extent of the injury and for how long it will keep Watson off the field aren’t known, but it does bring Deshaun Watson’s contract situation into focus.
According to Kalyn Kahler of ESPN, approximately 50% of the league’s 32 teams have insurance on their most expensive contracts.
It’s usually the teams that get absolutely steamrolled into overpaying a player [that buy insurance], and so it’s like [the front-office’s] saving grace to try to present it to ownership. It’s like, “We’ll get your money back if he gets hurt.”
— Ex-salary cap executive via ESPN
The Cleveland Browns made history when they acquired Deshaun Watson prior to the 2022 season. Not only did the team trade three first-round picks to add the quarterback, but they also signed him to an unprecedented, fully guaranteed five-year contract for $230 million.
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Now, they are expected to receive millions because he may be out for the rest of the year.
The Browns received $4.1 million in end-of-year cap adjustments for 2024 because Deshaun Watson missed 11 games last year, and now they may receive even more as he is expected to miss the remaining ten games this year.
Deshaun Watson Still Dealing With Issues Off The Field
Now that Deshaun Watson is likely done for the year, he can focus on another woman accusing him of sexually assaulting her.
Last month, the Cleveland Browns quarterback was accused of a 2020 sexual assault in a lawsuit filed in Texas.
Deshaun Watson agreed to meet at her apartment, but by the time he finally got there, he was already enraged with having trouble finding her.
When Watson finally arrived, Doe claimed she was not ready as she “had not finished putting on her makeup.”
She tried speaking to him from the bathroom, but he got quiet.
Doe says she thought Watson might have left, so she left the bathroom and allegedly “found him completely naked on her bed, lying face down on his stomach.”
Doe then claims Watson “turned his head and aggressively insisted that she massage him, gesturing to his buttocks.”
His prior lawsuits were settled out of court. The NFL penalized Watson with an 11-game suspension ahead of the 2022 season.
VIDEO: Jameis Winston Got Emotional As He Unleashed Some Strong Words Towards Browns Fans Who Cheered After Deshaun Watson Suffered Season-Ending Injury
Jameis Winston and Deshaun Watson (Photos via Twitter and Getty Images)
Watson suffered the injury and had to be carted off during the second quarter of Sunday’s 21-14 home loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Backup Dorian Thompson-Robinson left the game with a finger injury, forcing Jameis Winston to finish out the game.
It was the latest miserable chapter for a quarterback who isn’t exactly embraced by the Browns fanbase. During the pre-game player introductions, Browns fans booed Watson as he made his way onto the field, much to the chagrin of his backup.
And when he was down on the field with his Achilles injury, many spectators cheered:
And when he was down on the field with his Achilles injury, many spectators cheered:
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Speaking to reporters after the game, Jameis Winston expressed disgust and disappointment with the Browns fans who booed Watson and cheered, via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.
“I am very upset with the reaction to a man that has had the world against him for the past four years. And he put his body and life on the line for this city. Every single day.
Regardless of your perception, regardless of what you thought should happen with him, he committed every single day that I’ve been here to be the best that he can be for this team…the way I was raised, I will never pull on a man when he’s down. But I will be the person to lift him up.”
The Browns took a major risk two years ago when they acquired Watson in a blockbuster trade with the Cleveland Browns, even though he had been accused of sexual misconduct by more than two dozen women. Watson was handed a $230 million fully guaranteed contract before playing a snap for the Browns, even with an 11-game suspension on the horizon.
With Watson likely done for the season, the Browns must choose between the more experienced Jameis Winston or the younger Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
Browns Should Turn To Jameis Winston
The Browns are now 1-6 and well out of the postseason race. They already gave up on making the playoffs by trading star wide receiver Amari Cooper to the Cleveland Browns, with more moves sure to follow.
This has been a miserable season for the Browns, but it’s worth giving Jameis Winston a chance to revive his career. He’s been one of the league’s better backups over the last three years, and the former first-overall pick might be able to provide shot-term stability at the game’s most important position.
