Cleveland Browns starting quarterback Deshaun Watson won’t be able to finish out the 2024 season for a second year due to an Achilles tendon rupture.
The injury happened during the final two minutes of the second quarter in Sunday’s game that ended with the Browns’ 21-14 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
According to the Cleveland Browns’ website, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) confirmed on Monday morning the Achilles injury that took place when Watson “ran up the middle on a quarterback draw but stumbled and gave himself up on the play.”
Watson, 29, was carted off the field as his teammates wished him well, the website stated, adding that the injury will require surgery.
“We told him we were gonna fight,” said Browns’ cornerback Greg Newsome after the game. “We told him we were gonna do our best to go out there and play for him.
“Like I said, anyone that cannot go off on their own willpower hurts,” Newsome added. “But at the end of the day, we are all humans and an injury like that is sad, and I give a lot of credit to the Bengals players who came over and prayed for him or gave a quick message to him.”
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A Georgia-born and raised quarterback, Watson has completed 137 of the 216 passing attempts for 1,148 passing yards, in addition to five touchdowns in the first seven games of the season, the website said.
“He also threw three interceptions and was also sacked a league-high 33 times this season,” it said.
The Browns have lost five games this season despite making the playoffs last year.
Newsome went on to say that though it was hard to witness Watson not being able to walk after the injury, the team “has his back.”
“It is definitely sad, and I wish him a safe and speedy recovery,” he said.
Watson began his professional career in 2017 with the Houston Texans after playing college football for the Clemson Tigers. He signed a five-year, $230 million contract with the Browns in 2022.
Browns coach Kevin Stefansk told The Associated Press that while he continues to support Watson, it’s important to accept that it’s a bad injury “and a bad break for him.”
“We’re feeling bad for him and know that he’ll bounce back but not getting into all those things [until] down the road,” he said.
Watson has had multiple injuries throughout his football career.
The NFL suspended Watson from 11 games in 2021 for personal conduct policy violations and fined $5 million. The allegations resulted in divisive reactions to Watson among teammates and crowds.
It was reported that during the pregame introductions on Oct. 20 that Watson was booed, and that both cheers and boos were heard from the stands as he was taken off the field later after his injury.
Myles Garrett, the Browns’ defensive end and NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year, said he was offended by the crowd’s reaction.
“We should be ashamed of ourselves as Browns and as fans to boo anyone and their downfall,” he said, adding that it’s “just a game.”
