Inside How Browns Fans Can End Deshaun Watson 'Nightmare' Immediately
Is there any point at which Cleveland Browns ""big swing and a miss" Deshaun Watson gets to be treated like a regular NFL player struggling to get things right?
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Or does the insane guaranteed contract and the troubling sexual misconduct issues allow us to view every single thing about him through a negative prism?
The Browns have added four new quarterbacks this offseason. Cleveland pursued two veterans in Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett before spending a pair of draft picks on rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.
Still hanging on here, too, is the failed "franchise QB'' Watson. A tear of his Achilles last season ended year early and put his upcoming campaign in jeopardy. This only got worse when he suffered a major setback in January. ... all the while draining the cap with the unprecedented $230 million fully guaranteed contract he was handed when the Browns traded for him from Houston.
Now comes news that the Browns have yet to rule him out for the season.
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And in almost every other case in the history of the NFL, this would be viewed as at least a glimmer of positive news.
"The Browns haven't ruled him out for the season yet ... and they've always been in the 'never-say-never' camp,'' Cleveland.com writes. "Besides, they certainly don't want to discourage Watson when he's working so tirelessly to come back, and making a meaningful contribution inside the building.''
That seems sensible.
And yet ... consider the headline and the lead in the aggregated story in Sporting News ...
"Browns' Deshaun Watson nightmare might not be over yet,'' is how SN phrased it. "Deshaun Watson just won't go away.''
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We're not chastising SN here. We do not have an answer for when fans can say, "Enough is enough,'' for when Watson has done his penance, for when he'll just be considered another football player ... albeit possibly no longer a good one.
But consider Cleveland.com's piece again.
"In the meantime,'' they write, "sources say Watson has been an awesome teammate inside the quarterback room and meeting rooms, and has been a great cheerleader for the four quarterbacks vying for the starting job in Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders."
"He's been especially helpful to the rookies in Gabriel and Sanders, who are working overtime to remain in the starting mix."
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Does that count for anything as the club perhaps wants to squeeze any value it can out of what has been a horrible investment? Does it could for anything if he's simply trying to pitch in?
In the end, Watson's career downturn might be his nightmare.
But as time has passed, we're not sure why it still needs to be ours.
Related: Deshaun Watson Taking Shedeur 'Under His Wing'
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
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