It’s looking like Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson is going to be ready for Week 1 of 2024 after recovering from shoulder surgery, and a former NFL star thinks it’s going to be a pivotal year for Watson.
Former Philadelphia Eagles running back and current Fox Sports analyst LeSean McCoy recently said on FS1’s Speak For Yourself that this will be a make or break season for Watson.
It’s hard to argue with McCoy.
The Browns initially acquired Watson in a blockbuster trade with the Houston Texans back in March 2022 and then proceeded to hand him a historic, fully guaranteed $230 million deal.
The early returns have not been good for Cleveland.
Watson was suspended for the first 11 games of 2022 due to sexual misconduct allegations, and in the six games he did play, he threw for 1,102 yards, seven touchdowns and five interceptions while completing just 58.2 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 79.1.
He then appeared in just six contests this past season due to a shoulder injury that ended up knocking him out for the year. During his time on the field, he totaled 1,115 yards, seven touchdowns and four picks while completing 61.4 percent of his throws and registering an 84.3 passer rating.
There was a time when Watson was one of the best quarterbacks in football.
Back in 2020, which was his final season with the Texans (he sat out all of 2021), he led the NFL with 4,823 passing yards to go along with 33 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. He completed 70.2 percent of his passes and recorded a passer rating of 112.4.
From 2018 through 2020, the 28-year-old made three straight trips to the Pro Bowl.
Watson, who played his collegiate football at Clemson, was selected by Houston with the 12th overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft.
We’ll see if Deshaun Watson can bounce back next season.
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