UPDATE (2:52 PM): The Cleveland Browns have officially listed QB Deshaun Watson as out with an Achilles injury. Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the fear is Watson has torn his Achilles. If so, it would end his season.
UPDATE (4:54 PM): Following the game, head coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters the team fears Watson has torn his Achilles.
Our original story is below.
Cleveland Browns QB Deshaun Watson has suffered what appears to be a serious right leg injury, potentially to his Achilles, during the first half of Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Watson went down in non-contact fashion right before halftime and seemed to be in obvious pain. He was carted off the field, draped with a towel around his neck as Watson was visibly emotional being taken off the field.
Watson injured it attempting to push off his leg to run and immediately crumpled to the ground.
He was replaced by QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson, surprisingly getting the nod over veteran Jameis Winston for today’s game. Before the injury, Watson was having an efficient game, going 15-of-17 for 128 yards. However, the Browns were still struggling to score, trailing the Bengals 7-0 to that point.
On 4th and goal on the same drive Deshaun Watson was hurt, RB Nick Chubb, making his return from a serious knee injury suffered last year, punched the ball over the goal line for his first touchdown of the season. Cleveland missed the extra point, keeping the Bengals lead at 7-6 heading into halftime.
Watson has faced intense criticism this season for his poor play that had many calling for him to be benched. Now, it seems like Watson will be out of the lineup for the foreseeable future with a high chance of missing the rest of the year. Cleveland traded for Watson ahead of the 2022 season, giving him a fully guaranteed $230 million deal and three first-round picks despite Watson facing a slew of allegations and lawsuits for sexual assault. He was suspended for the first 11 games of the 2022 season.
In his Browns’ career, Deshaun Watson is 9-9 as a starter with 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Cleveland came into the game 1-5 and at the bottom of the AFC North.
Pittsburgh will play Cleveland in Weeks 12 and 14. Based on the initial view of the injury and Watson’s reaction, it’s doubtful they’ll be facing Watson. They squared off against Thompson-Robinson last season, losing 13-10 in an ugly game for NFL offenses that led to Steelers’ OC Matt Canada being fired, the team’s first in-season coaching change since World War II.
We’ll update this post when we know more about Watson’s status.
