Browns QB Deshaun Watson Suffers Achilles Injury

Update: Ian Rapoport confirmed that Watson did suffer an Achilles injury after the team ruled him out on Sunday. Tom Pelissero added that he is likely done for the season and will undergo further testing to confirm the injury. 

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Browns QB Deshaun Watson was carted off the field during Sunday’s game against the Bengals with an apparent non-contact Achilles’ injury. 

He was replaced at quarterback by backup QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Dr. David Chao believes that Watson suffered a right Achilles tendon rupture that will require surgery and end his season.

Watson, 29, was taken in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft out of Clemson by the Texans. He signed a four-year, $13.854 million rookie deal with the Texans that included a fifth-year option of around $17.3 million for the 2021 season.

The Texans later signed Watson to a four-year extension worth as much as $177 million heading into the 2020 season, paying him $39 million a year. However, Watson requested a trade after the season, and then sat out the entire 2021 season while navigating more than two dozen lawsuits for sexual misconduct. He was later suspended for 11 games. 

Watson was traded to the Browns for significant draft compensation in 2022 and signed a five-year, $230 million, fully guaranteed contract as a part of the trade. The deal runs through 2026 and includes base salaries of $46 million in each of the final two seasons. 

In 2024, Watson has appeared in seven games for the Browns and completed 61.3 percent of his pass attempts for 1,020 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions.

We’ll have more on Watson as the news is available.