There was a time when Deshaun Watson appeared to be the future for the Houston Texans. Now, he can't seem to stay on the field.
Houston sent Watson to the Cleveland Browns in a blockbuster trade before the 2022 season. They were able to re-load their roster thanks to a boatload of draft picks, including three first-round selections from Cleveland.
Watson, who was facing a suspension for more than 20 counts of sexual misconduct at the time of the trade, was suspended for 11 games that first year, but the Browns hoped he would be their franchise QB once he returned. That hasn't happened with Watson appearing in a total of 19 games in three seasons.
This year, he struggled mightily in seven games before rupturing his Achilles on October 20 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Cleveland general manager Andrew Berry said at the end of the season Watson suffered a setback in his recovery from that injury and on Friday, we learned how severe that setback was.
According to Ian Rapoport, Watson suffered another ruptured Achilles, leaving his status in 2025 in doubt.
Could Deshaun Watson be done in the NFL?
With Watson playing no more than seven games in each of the past three seasons, it's fair to ask if he's ever going to be able to play a full slate of games. He's dealt with multiple injuries to his shoulder and now Achilles, while also having a history of torn ACLs.
After Houston sat him for the 2021 season, Watson appeared to lose a step. If he really misses all of 2025 — after missing 10 games in 2024 — it's hard to see him ever returning.
Since leaving the Texans, Watson led the Browns to a record of 9-10. He completed 61.2 percent of his attempts for 3,365 yards with 19 touchdowns and 12 picks. By the end of his tenure, it appeared teammates were ready for a change, making this one of the worst trades in history — on Cleveland's part, of course.
