MRI Confirms Browns QB Deshaun Watson Ruptured His Achilles

Multiple Reports confirmed speculation that the Cleveland Browns QB had torn his Achilles, ending his 2024 season

Oct 20, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) is attended to by head coach Kevin Stefanski and team medical personnel for his torn Achilles during the second quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images / Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

Deshaun Watson's 2024 campaign is officially over.

An MRI on Monday confirmed speculation from Sunday that the Cleveland Browns signal caller had ruptured his Achilles, per multiple reports.

The team later confirmed the devastating news in an official release from the team, which stated:

"Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) this morning confirmed that Deshaun Watson sustained a ruptured right Achilles tendon in the second quarter of yesterday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals. The injury will require surgical repair, and Deshaun will miss the remainder of the 2024 season. A full recovery is expected."

During the second quarter of the Browns 21-14 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, Watson collapsed to the turf after attempting to take off on a quarterback draw play. Video replay painted the devastating picture that the 28-year-old had suffered an Achilles tear, showing his calf muscle rippling as he planted his right foot.

It marks the second consecutive year that Watson will be unable to finish the season under center due to a season-ending injury.

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What's next for Watson is weighing his options in terms of what procedure he will pursue to repair the ailment. According to a report from Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot, Watson will decide between undergoing the traditional surgery, which can take upwards of six months for a player to resume on field work, and what's known as the "speed bridge" procedure that New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers underwent last season.

The latter option was performed on Rodgers by renowned Los Angeles based surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who also performed surgery on Watson last fall to repair a fractured glenoid in his throwing shoulder. After rupturing his Achilles in Week 1 last year, a mere four plays into his Jets tenure, Rodgers turned many heads when he wound up returning to practice after just 77 days following Dr. ElAttache's surgery.

The speedy return sparked lots of speculation that Rodgers would have been able to play for the Jets had they made the playoffs. Even with the accelerated timeline that procedure provides, it would be awfully close to the end of the season before Watson was able to simply return to practice.

For all intents and purposes, the Deshaun Watson era came to an unceremonious end on Sunday. The writing of the next chapter of #Browns football is officially underway.https://t.co/bAWSJZYbYc

— 𝚂𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚛 𝙶𝚎𝚛𝚖𝚊𝚗 (@Spencito_) October 21, 2024

A recent example of the conventional surgery comes from Falcons QB Kirk Cousins, who tore his Achilles in Week 8 of last season and was ready and practicing in time for training camp this year.

Whichever route he chooses would be made with a focus on getting Watson rehabilitated to return for the start of next season. Even that may be far-fetched at this point as the situation between the embattled QB, the team and the fan base feels like it may be untenable at this point.

After suffering the injury, some areas of fans could be heard cheering at the sight of Dorian Thompson-Robinson coming in at quarterback. The ill-timed and unfortunate reaction from fans caught the attention of the majority of the Browns locker room. Star pass rusher Myles Garrett, cornerback Greg Newsome II and backup quarterback Jameis Winston were among those who spoke out assertively against the fans after the game.

In the meantime, the Browns must pivot to a new QB for the remainder of 2024. That may be 2023 fifth-round pick Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who also exited Sunday's game with a hand injury, or veteran Jameis Winston.