Deshaun Watson's Unfortunate Exit Likely His Last Act With Cleveland Browns

After suffering a torn Achilles in a 21-14 loss to the Bengals, Deshaun Watson's season is likely over, so too is his Browns tenure

Oct 20, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) falls to the ground with a torn Achilles during the second quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images / Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

After weeks of Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski fielding questions about whether or not he'd consider benching quarterback Deshaun Watson, the decision was ultimately made for him.

With 2:18 to go in the second quarter of Cleveland's Week 7 showdown with the Bengals, Watson collapsed to the turf in pain with his head in his hands. After attempting to plan his right foot and take off on a QB draw, video replay showed the unnerving image of Watson's calf muscling rippling after what appears to be a season-ending ruptured Achilles.

The team will run it's standard injury tests on Monday, but they're all but guaranteed to confirm what is already suspected in the aftermath of Sunday's 21-14 loss.

Watson's season will be over. So too is his Browns tenure.

It's impossible to picture Watson ever suiting up for Cleveland again. The road back from such a devastating injury will be long and challenging enough. Now imagine doing it after hearing sections of the fan base he plays in front of every Sunday cheered while he was carted off the field.

Call it misplaced passion from a minority of fans in attendance. Call it three years worth of fan frustration being vocalized. Watson has continually said he blocks out the outside noise, but there's no blocking it out the noise when it's released inside your home stadium.

There's no situation in which fans should be celebrating a players demise due to injury, and to be fair it certainly wasn't everyone. Some of the cheers seemed to be sparked by the sight of Dorian Thompson-Robinson beginning a more purposeful warmup along the sideline. It's hard to know where every fan's reaction was directed at the time. The fact that it happened though speaks to the reality of the situation Watson currently finds himself in.

#Browns players heard how fans reacted to Deshaun Watson suffering what is likely a season-ending Achilles injury and they voiced their displeasure. https://t.co/YKhBg267OB

— 𝚂𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚛 𝙶𝚎𝚛𝚖𝚊𝚗 (@Spencito_) October 21, 2024

The organization can't possibly trot him back out there after what transpired on Sunday.

Questions about Watson's mental state amidst everything that's surrounded him have surrounded the former first-round pick since his arrival to town in 2022. Watson has essentially been the NFL's public enemy No. 1 after being accused of more than two dozen cases of sexual assault. The villain role isn't for everyone and it's safe to say Watson hasn't exactly handled the label well.

Earlier in the week, star running back Nick Chubb penned a letter to Browns fans via the Player's Tribune expressing gratitude for their support during his recovery from a serious knee injury. After more than a year away from the field he made his long-awaited return on Sunday to choruses of applause adoration. Watson will never get that treatment from Browns fans as he now faces another lengthy rehab process of his own.

In truth, the injury now becomes a convenient excuse for Cleveland to pivot out of the Deshaun Watson business.

The Browns brass will never have to truly own that they made the worst trade in NFL – and arguably sports – history. They be can simply point to Watson's now lengthy injury history, question is ability to come back from this and be the same player and start figuring out a quarterback contingency plan.

Maybe the most obvious path forward revolves around drafting a new QB. With Watson's albatross of a contract still on the books for at least two more years, a QB on a rookie contract is an ideal outcome. The powers that be will have to get creative to work around his immovable contract but a shiny new rookie QB is also an easy narrative to sell to fans.

The first big choice the franchise must make revolves around who takes over for Watson for the remainder of this season. They'd be wise to choose Thompson-Robinson and get a clear picture of what he can provide as an NFL QB.

What's obvious moving forward though is that the Deshaun Watson era came to an unceremonious end on Sunday. The shaping of the next chapter of Cleveland Browns football is officially underway.