Deshaun Watson Shares Explicit Approach To Third Season With Browns

The Browns signal caller looks to bounce back from a season ending shoulder surgery in 2024

Deshaun Watson meets with the media on the second day of Browns training camp at the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Spring, W. Va. / Spencer German

Deshaun Watson's first two years with the Cleveland Browns haven't exactly gone as planned since the team make a blockbuster trade for his services back in 2022.

In two seasons, Watson has appeared in just 12 total games due to suspension and injury, completing only 59.8% of his passes, for 2,217 yards, 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Now throw in the fact that he's looking to overcome a glenoid fracture in his throwing shoulder that ended his 2023 season and the subsequent surgery that followed this offseason. The 28-year-old still has a lot to prove in year three with the Browns. He's taking a different approach this time around.

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"I think honestly it's really just blocking out all the bull****, honestly," said Watson after the second practice of training camp at the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia. "It was tough coming in two years, different environment, different team, different all that. So you come in and your character's been mentioned this way and then it kind of flips on you and ... you're trying to get people to like you or improve."

A tumultuous first two seasons in Cleveland have suddenly left Watson with some clarity. The star QB added that he's done trying to please everybody.

"Now it's like, at the end of the day, it's two years in and if you don't like me or you have your own opinions, then forget it, it is what it is," Watson said. "So I think blocking out all the noise and focusing on me and focusing on what I need to do to be the best Deshaun Watson I can be for myself, my family and my teammates."

From the jump, Watson's arrival in Cleveland was always met with mixed reviews from both Browns fans and the NFL at large. After more than two dozen sexual misconduct allegations were brought against him during his final year in Houston, acquiring him was always going to be controversial. While Watson settled the majority of those cases against him the league determined that he had still violated the personal conduct policy and issued an 11-game suspension for the 2022 season.

Last year was supposed to be a clean slate for Watson, with an offense better suited for him, but the shoulder injury derailed that. There's plenty of of context involved in why he struggled these first two years in Cleveland. Even he admitted it hasn't been easy.

"I took '21 off, didn't play ball," explained Watson. "Had the suspension so I missed a lot of ball and I was trying to come back. Last year I thought that was going to be the year where I can play a full year and get a full season under my belt, then the injury happened. So I was very disappointed and down, not just because I couldn't show exactly what I can do for this organization. Yeah, I understand that they put a lot into me, but sometimes the injuries you can't control. So a lot of things kind of didn't fall in place the last two years, but praying and taking one day at a time that everything due this year."

Deshaun is taking a different approach to the #Browns 2024 season... pic.twitter.com/6AN2NOGPky

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If things don't come together the Browns may have a tough decision on their hands regarding Watson's future. For now though they've shown nothing but the utmost confidence in him and that's all he really cares about anymore.

"I give two f***s what other people say, to be honest," he asserted. Just being the best Desean Watson can be for this team so we can get that ultimate goal and maximizing my potential and my talent and that's my motivation. I don't have anything else that is going to motivate me."