The Cleveland Browns go through quarterbacks like people go through water.
Unfortunately for the Ohio-based team, no one is turning the faucet off. Their search for stability at the most important position in sports has spanned decades and continues to this day. They’ve tried everything from first overall picks to free agent signings and trades.
Joe Flacco now heads to the bench ahead of Week 5, allowing Dillon Gabriel to make his first career start. Fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders acted like a mime as his press conference earlier in the week, but there’s another quarterback that has seemingly flown under the radar this season.
Deshaun Watson.
The Browns moved heaven and Earth to acquire the former Houston Texans star – a move that blew up in their face in almost record time.
Between legal issues and injuries, Watson hasn’t been the same player since arriving in “The Land” and it begs the question – what happened to him anyway?
What happened to Deshaun Watson?
Watson suffered a torn Achilles in Week 7 of the 2024 season on Oct. 20. While rehabbing the injury, he ruptured it again in January, putting his status for the 2025 season in doubt.
While the quarterback has been around the team, there are no plans to activate him off the physically unable to perform (PUP) list at this time, according to the Akron Beacon Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network.
“Deshaun’s doing a great job with his rehab and that’s really where his focus is,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said on a Sept. 29 Zoom call.
More recently, Watson’s legal issues have resurfaced.
The quarterback never went to trial for any of the 27 sexual misconduct lawsuits he faced surrounding his alleged involvement with massage therapists dating back to 2020 and 2021.
However, according to court records obtained by USA TODAY Sports on Oct. 1, a judge in Harris County, Texas, assigned the quarterback with a trial date for Feb. 18 in Houston.
When will Deshaun Watson return?
It’s unclear when, or if, Watson will return to an NFL field again – especially in Cleveland.
The Browns have seemingly moved on after acquiring two rookie quarterbacks, Gabriel and Sanders, in the 2025 NFL Draft. More importantly, Watson struggled during his limited action with the Browns and had an even more difficult time staying on the field.
In what is his fourth season with the team, Watson has played in just 19 games, throwing for 3,365 yards, 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Watson completed just 61.2% of his pass attempts and has a quarterback rating of 80.7.
Watson inked a five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed deal with the Browns following his trade to Cleveland. The deal is set to expire after the 2026 season.
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