An already poor season for Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson took a turn for the worse during Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Watson suffered an injury in the second quarter of the AFC North showdown and was carted off the field following the setback. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported the starter “is feared to have suffered a torn Achilles injury” that would end his season.
After the game, head coach Kevin Stefanski admitted Watson’s season could be over.
“Let’s get the tests first, but that’s what it looks like,” the coach told reporters.
To say Watson has underperformed this season would be an understatement.
He entered Sunday’s contest with a 1-5 record as a starter to go along with five touchdown passes to three interceptions. Cleveland fans have grown incredibly frustrated and even loudly booed him when his name was called in pregame introductions.
Making the situation even more problematic is his five-year, $230 million contract, which is fully guaranteed and runs through the 2026 campaign.
The contract was met with criticism even when it was handed out because of his behavior off the field.
Watson was suspended 11 games in the 2022 season, fined $5 million and ordered to undergo a mandatory evaluation for violating the NFL’s personal-conduct policy. There have been 27 lawsuits filed by women against Watson since March 2021 accusing him of sexual misconduct.
Of the lawsuits, 24 of them have been privately settled.
On the field, this is another development at quarterback. Jameis Winston was inactive against the Bengals as the No. 3 emergency quarterback.
Instead, Dorian Thompson-Robinson was the No. 2 behind Watson and took over when the starter exited the game. However, Thompson-Robinson left the game with a finger injury, which meant Winston ended up playing near the end.
