Following his recent injury, the Cleveland Browns’ significant investment in Deshaun Watson has been called into question, with at least one NFL figure expressing doubts about his future.
On November 12, Watson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury against the Baltimore Ravens. He was also sidelined earlier in the season due to a separate shoulder injury.
During the 2022 offseason, the Browns acquired Watson in exchange for a trove of first-round picks. Cleveland also
gave him a record-breaking five-year, $230 million extension. Watson will have appeared in only 12 games over the course of two seasons.
The Athletic’s Mike Sando polled 50 coaches and executives to rank the league’s quarterbacks. One of the voters is sceptical of Watson resuming his Pro Bowl form with the Houston Texans.
“Yeah, I think he’s done,” Sando replied. “He’s always been the guy with the ball.” He has always put himself under pressure. They must call the game as they would without him: heavy screen game, heavy run game, 12 personnel, quarterback keepers.”
This season, Watson had some solid games for the Browns but never established himself as one of the league’s elite quarterbacks. This season, he completed 61.4% of his passes for 1,115 yards, seven touchdowns, and four interceptions.
When it comes to Watson’s contract, the Browns have no recourse. He is under contract with the team until the 2026 season.
Following Watson’s season-ending injury, the Browns named rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson as the starter. The team did, however, add veteran Joe Flacco as a veteran option.
After Thompson-Robinson suffered a concussion against the Denver Broncos, the door was opened for Flacco to start. And in two starts, Flacco has averaged 565 yards, five touchdowns, and two interceptions.
Watson has come under fire as a result of Flacco’s performance, with some criticising the Browns’ franchise quarterback on social media.
“Joe Flacco isn’t a starting QB anymore, but it’s wild how much better he is than Deshaun Watson,” a fan wrote on X. “It’s a SIGNIFICANT upgrade despite Flacco barely knowing the offence and being about five years removed from being a decent QB.”
