Deshaun Watson, Browns QB, determined to silence skeptics
Deshaun Watson could potentially miss a portion or the entirety of the 2025 season and is hearing murmurs of his downfall as concerns grow about his ability to regain the form that enticed the Cleveland Browns to trade for him from the Houston Texans three years ago.
Watson is recuperating from two surgeries on his Achilles tendon within a span of less than four months. He appeared in only 19 out of a possible 51 games with the Browns since being acquired from the Texans in March 2022, a move the team made despite the quarterback facing allegations of sexual misconduct from over two dozen massage therapists in the Houston area.
Even Browns owner Jimmy Haslam openly admitted last month that the trade was a "swing and miss," a significant revelation considering he was the one who approved Watson's contract.
Also see this picks:
New York Knicks vs. Detroit Pistons Pick & Prediction MAY 1st 2025
Also see this picks:
Los Angeles Kings vs. Edmonton Oilers Pick & Prediction MAY 1st 2025
Watson shared a brief video addressing his doubters on Thursday.
"Everyone is doubting me. Everyone doesn't believe in me," Watson stated in a video posted on Instagram. "Everyone doesn't think I can return to where I was. But I know, and I have faith in the work I've put in, that I believe in myself... I know I will be even better than before."
The Browns traded for Watson in exchange for first-round draft picks in 2022, 2023, and 2024, along with a 2023 third-round pick, and fourth-round picks in 2022 and 2024. In return, they received Watson - who had a record of 9-10 as a starter with the Browns - and a 2024 sixth-round pick.
The Browns are finally back in the first round of the draft and hold the No. 2 overall pick in the April 24 draft. With only Watson and recently acquired Kenny Pickett on the roster, Cleveland has a significant gap to fill, according to Haslam.
Before he even played a single game for the Browns, the team signed Watson - who had already been selected to three Pro Bowls - to a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract. He is still owed $92 million.
"We took a big swing and miss with Deshaun," Haslam admitted last month. "We thought we had our quarterback, but we didn't, and we gave up a lot of draft picks to get him. So we need to dig ourselves out of that hole. It was a decision made by the entire organization and ultimately falls on Dee (Haslam, Jimmy's wife and co-owner of the franchise) and I, so we must be held accountable."
