Things haven’t been going well for Deshaun Watson in the NFL lately. Now the season is over for the Cleveland Browns quarterback due to a torn Achilles tendon. The fact that their own fans booed the injured Watson angered teammates.
Seriously injured against Cincinnati: Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson.
IMAGO/UPI Photo
Watson sustained the serious injury in the home game against the Cincinnati Bengals shortly before the end of the first half without any interference from the opponent when he wanted to go for a run. The TV images didn’t bode well. Watson immediately fell to the ground and was unable to get up. The entire Browns squad came onto the field as the quarterback, with a towel over his head, was tearfully placed on a cart and driven off the field. “Obviously it doesn’t look good,” said head coach Kevin Stefanski after the game. The fears were confirmed on Monday: the NFL season ended early for the 29-year-old.
We should be ashamed of such behavior.
Myles Garrett, Defensive Player of the Year
The fact that his own fans jeered and booed the injured Watson as he was driven into the dressing room caused some dissatisfaction among his teammates. “It doesn’t matter whether it’s an opponent who goes down or one of us: We don’t boo players who are injured on the field, especially not when the cart comes out,” reacted Myles Garrett reigning Defensive Player of the Year, upset. “We should be ashamed of such behavior.”
Several Browns colleagues joined Garrett’s clear criticism, and basketball superstar LeBron James, once a champion with the Cleveland Cavaliers, also expressed his incomprehension via X.
Controversial off the field – also failed in sports in Cleveland
Off the field, Watson is a controversial figure. The Browns signed him in 2022 for, among other things, three first-round picks and gave him an unprecedented contract ($230 million, fully guaranteed), even though more than 20 women accused the quarterback of sexual assault and sexual misconduct.
There were out-of-court settlements – just like in September 2024, when another woman made allegations. A new NFL investigation into Watson, who has already missed eleven games in 2022 while suspended, is underway, according to Commissioner Roger Goodell’s statement last week.
In terms of sport, Watson was no longer able to match his former achievements for the Houston Texans in the Browns jersey. In addition to numerous injuries, there were many poor performances. When Watson was out last season, the Browns reached the playoffs with veteran quarterback Joe Flacco. The Browns entered Sunday’s game, which the Bengals won 21-14, with a record of 1-5 and the NFL’s worst offense in yards per game.
Stefanski had stuck with his quarterback despite the weak and listless performances, although from a purely sporting point of view the Watson experiment had to be considered a failure even before his serious injury.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who initially took over on Sunday, and Jameis Winston, who brought the game to an end in the final minutes, will be considered as replacements for Watson, who was booed by some of the fans at the beginning of the game.
