Deshaun Watson just won the Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback job for the 2026 season, clinching it after what the team called the “most depressing position battle of the summer.” This dude is getting one more shot to prove he’s the guy, but let’s be real, there are some serious questions floating around, especially with all the things Watson has said and done. The Browns even seemed to know it last year, drafting not one, but *two* potential future QBs in the 2025 NFL Draft. And yet, here we are. Watson still came out on top this preseason. Wild, right?
The Early Promise That Went Off The Rails
Remember when this guy was coming out of Clemson in 2017? Watson was a top prospect, taken 12th overall by the Texans, even if Mitchell Trubisky and Patrick Mahomes went before him. He was supposed to be their QB of the future after Brock Osweiler’s rough 2016 season. It didn’t take long for him to start, getting thrown in during Week 1 and then leading the Texans to a 13-9 win in his first official start, even rushing for a score. Everything looked great, right? Then BAM, in November 2017, he tore his ACL in practice, ending a rookie season where he threw for 19 touchdowns against eight interceptions and still finished third in Rookie of the Year voting despite only playing in seven games. Man, talk about a gut punch.
The Massive Deal and the Even Bigger Problem
Watson bounced back from that ACL injury, becoming a certified superstar with the Texans, making two straight Pro Bowls. Before the 2020 season, the team locked him up with a huge four-year, $156 million extension, making him their long-term guy. And he delivered that year, throwing for a league-high 4,823 yards and a career-high 33 touchdowns. The team, though? They went 4-12. That’s where things started to get messy. By January 2021, Watson was fed up with the front office and demanded a trade. Then, just a couple months later in March 2021, a lawsuit dropped, accusing him of misconduct with a female masseuse. Watson put out a statement claiming he’d “never treated any woman with anything other than the utmost respect.” But just over two weeks later, by April 5, 2021, that number ballooned. Twenty-two different women joined the sexual misconduct lawsuit against him. That’s a huge, crushing number.
What’s Next for Cleveland After All This?
So here we are in 2026. Watson has had his ups and downs, but the Browns are still riding with him after he won the job again this preseason. After that brutal timeline and everything that went down, what’s at stake for Cleveland? This is Watson’s shot to finally prove he can be the guy they paid $156 million for, and that all the drama was worth it. With those two younger QBs on the roster from last year’s draft, this feels like his last, best shot. You gotta wonder if Cleveland fans are holding their breath or just trying to look away.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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