The Deshaun Watson is over as the Cleveland Browns quarterback tore his achilles in the loss against the Cincinnati Bengals. And one thing is clear: it ended with as much angst and chaos as it started with.
When the Browns first acquired Watson from the Houston Texans, it caused a commotion on social media around Northeast Ohio and beyond. It caused beat writers and analysts to quit, placed protesters outside of the house of head coach Kevin Stefanski, and led to one of the most cringe-worthy press conferences we’ve ever witnessed as the team introduced their new quarterback.
Since the trade, Watson had not lived up to the hype. He has missed more games than he has started, has fallen near the bottom of the NFL in every quarterback metric in games he has played, and has soaked in all of the guaranteed money the Browns have given him.
Let’s face it. After another season-ending injury and subpar play, the Watson era is over. And his career might be over. While he will likely be back on the roster in 2025, it would be stunning to see him take another snap in a Cleveland Browns uniform.
And with that being the case, it ended just as horribly.
Not only was Watson booed when they introduced him during the pregame festivities, his first home game after a disappointing three-game road trip, but they booed him after his achilles shot up his calf. Leaving the field on a cart and in tears, this is how his time in Cleveland ends.
Browns players like Myles Garrett and Jameis Winston went after the fanbase for their reaction to one of their own getting hurt. Garrett even went as far as to say that the fans “should be ashamed of” themselves for their actions.
It’s been difficult to be a fan of this team over the last three seasons. It’s been difficult to cover them. It’s difficult for a player to defend one of their own against the very fans that love them. Every bit of this has been difficult since March of 2022. And it leads to mixed feelings, reactions, and decisions from every party involved.
There is a wedge between the players and the fans, and one that the organization largely forced on both parties.
Whatever is next for Watson, and it’s hard to see another team dialing his number based on his play on the field mixed with what has happened off of it, this exit sums up his time as a member of the Browns and the 2022-2024 era as a whole in Cleveland.
The Deshaun Watson era ends as horribly as it started.