Watson Feared to Have Torn Achilles

Quarterback Deshaun Watson left the game on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals late in the second quarter. Watson dropped back to pass and suddenly hit the ground on a non-contact play. He was on the ground in pain as a cart came to take him off the field. Watson was signed to the largest guaranteed contract in NFL history after the Browns traded three first-round picks for him.

Watson’s era in Cleveland has just been a disaster for both sides. For the third straight year, Watson will finish his season playing under eight games for the Browns. In 2022, he was suspended for the first eleven games. In 2023, he fractured his shoulder halfway through the season. And on Sunday, Watson left the game on a cart, likely ending his season once again.

In his third season as a Brown, he failed to pass for over 200 yards in any game. The Browns offense as a whole failed to sustain over 20 points in any game this season. Watson’s last half in each of the last two seasons ended similarly. Against the Baltimore Ravens, Watson went 14-14 for 139 yards and a touchdown to snag a last-second win. On Sunday, he went 15-17 for 128 yards in the first half - on pace to go 30-34 for 260 yards before going down.

What once was so promising for the Browns’ future has turned into a disaster. They are stuck with Watson’s fully guaranteed contract. For the other parties involved in the Watson deal, the Houston Texans are 5-1, found their franchise quarterback in CJ Stroud, and received a haul in the Watson trade. Quarterback Baker Mayfield is leading the league in touchdowns for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as they are first in the NFC South. For Watson, he does have his fully guaranteed contract. For Cleveland, they are stuck with a fully guaranteed contract for a quarterback that was supposedly going to put them into contention with Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Lamar Jackson. Now, they are seeing Watson’s successor and their former quarterback, for four seasons, thrive.