Cleveland Browns fans may have mixed emotions upon hearing the latest update on Deshaun Watson, who tore his Achilles mid-game on Oct. 20 during Week 7’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Per multiple reports, Watson tore his Achilles a second time and underwent another surgery to repair it Thursday. His status for the start of the 2025 season is now in doubt.
Watson has played just 19 games for the Browns since being traded from the Houston Texans in 2022, missing 11 games of that season due to a suspension and part of 2023 with a different injury.
This year, Cleveland finished at 3-14, earning the No. 2 overall pick in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft.
Despite Watson’s lengthy contract, which expires at the end of the 2026-27 season, reports emerged earlier this week that the team has been preparing to let him go.
Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders appear the likeliest candidates to be picked by Cleveland with the No. 2 pick.
It’s unclear if the Tennessee Titans, who own the No. 1 slot, will pick a passer to replace Will Levis or a top position player like Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter (Colorado).
However, some insiders are hearing that teams only believe there’s one first-round worthy quarterback, and it’s not Sanders. So, if Tennessee chooses to address that position with Ward, Cleveland could be out of luck.
No timeline has been set for Watson’s recovery, but if he has taken his last snap for the Browns, the team will have paid out $229.4M for just those 19 games played. That’s over $12.073M per game.
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