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Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson faces a difficult path back to the field.
Deshaun Watson has suffered a series of injuries over the last few years, but the Cleveland Browns quarterback isn’t planning to retire from football anytime soon.
Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com addressed the idea of Watson retiring in her latest Q&A column. She said it wonʻt happen, with the Browns on the hook for his fully guaranteed salary through the 2026 season.
“He’s determined to come back and play. It may have to be for another team, but he certainly doesn’t feel close to being done yet,” Cabot said. “He’s coming along well in his rehab from the retorn Achilles, and hasn’t even been ruled out for later this season, although it’s probably unlikely he’ll see the field this year — at least not here. But he’ll make his full $230 million from the Browns whether he plays for them again or not, and won’t retire before it expires.”
Since taking over as the Browns’ starting quarterback, Watson has led the team to a 9-10 record, including a dismal 1-6 mark last season. Over that span, he’s passed for 3,365 yards with 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
Watson struggled to find a rhythm in 2024 before suffering a season-ending Achilles injury. The offense failed to eclipse 20 points in any of his seven starts. He also failed to reach 200 passing yards in a single game this season.
Deshaun Watson Remains Presence for Browns
Watson’s future in Cleveland — and the NFL — remains a significant question mark. But Watson is committed to returning from his Achilles injury. Watson initially ruptured his Achilles in October and then re-aggravated the injury in January, requiring a second surgery. The Browns have ruled him out for a significant portion of next season but have not set a firm timeline.
“How far that spans into 2025, I can’t give you a specific right now,” Browns GM Andrew Berry said in February. “He’s shown to be a fast healer, and we’re going to try and be as thoughtful and aggressive with the recovery process. But that’s something that I can predict at the current moment.”
Watson has been doing most of his recovery in Cleveland and has remained around the team, even being a presence in the quarterback room during meetings.
“He’s working really hard. Doing a nice job in his rehab,” Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said. “Doing a great job in the meeting room as well.”
Deshaun Watson Determined to Prove Doubters Wrong
Watson’s poor play, combined with his injuries, has many questioning whether he’ll ever see the field again. Even Browns owner Jimmy Haslam called the trade for Watson a “swing and miss” for the franchise this offseason.
But Watson is determined to come back better than ever and regain the Pro Bowl form he showed in Houston early in his career.
“Everyone’s doubting me. Everyone don’t believe in me. Everyone don’t think that I can get back to where I was. But I know and I believe the work that I put in, what I believe in myself, the peace that I’ve been channeling these last couple of months, I know I’m going to be way better than before,” Watson said in a video on social media. “The performance comes when your back is against the wall. It comes better because you’ve kind of got to lock in. You don’t have anything pretty much to lose, and I feel like that’s where I’m at right now.”
J.R. DeGroote JR DeGroote is a staff writer for Heavy.com, where they have been covering the NFL, NBA, and trending sports stories since 2019. More about J.R. DeGroote
