The Cleveland Browns had high hopes for the 2024 season. Entering the year healthy and without off-the-field concerns, the team expected Deshaun Watson to return to form and lead this team to the postseason.
Instead, disaster struck in more ways than one. Watson’s 2024 season is over, and his Browns tenure could be as well. What’s the latest on his injury and potential recovery timeline?
What Is Deshaun Watson’s Injury?
Watson started the first seven games of the season for the Browns. In Week 7 against the Cincinnati Bengals, Watson made a move to scramble, pushed off using his right leg, and immediately went down.
The instant it happened, there was no doubt about the severity of the injury given the characteristic vibration down the calf. Similar to what was seen with Aaron Rodgers and Kirk Cousins last year, the mechanism of Watson’s injury screamed Achilles.
It wasn’t long after the game that the team confirmed what many already suspected from the video: Watson was done for the year.
When Will Watson Return From Injury?
The timeline for a ruptured Achilles is typically something close to a full year, depending on the position and age of the player. For a 29-year-old who suffered this injury in mid-October, Watson should be able to participate in training camp to some level, even if he’s limited.
As a point of reference, Cousins was six years older than Watson and suffered his injury one week later into the season (Week 8 of 2023). He was able to participate in Atlanta Falcons training camp and has started every game of the 2024 season. While Cousins’ mobility has been limited, that could also be due to his age and natural physical limitations as much as the Achilles injury itself.
How Has Watson’s Absence Impacted the Browns?
This isn’t meant to pile on, but it’s been a positive for the Browns to have a quarterback change forced on them. Cleveland’s first game with Jameis Winston at starting quarterback resulted in a Week 8 upset win over their rival Baltimore Ravens. While they haven’t been able to sustain that momentum, the Browns are undeniably more competent with Winston.
Cleveland Browns Offense – 2024 Season
- Weeks 1-7 (Watson at QB): 15.6 PPG, 4.0 yards per play, -0.22 EPA per play, 33% success rate
- Since Week 8 (Winston at QB): 19.3 PPG, 5.4 yards per play, -0.05 EPA per play, 41% success rate
The production level under Winston is nothing to brag about, as the Browns are still a well-below-average offense. But that’s far better than “catastrophically terrible,” as they were under Watson. For context, Cleveland’s -0.22 EPA per play through seven games ranked 786th out of 798 teams since 2000.
The biggest remaining impact Watson will have in Cleveland is in regards to his contract. The Browns mortgaged their future to trade for and extend Watson, and restructured his contract despite his woeful play since the trade. As a result, the Browns would incur an insane $172.77 million cap hit if they outright cut Watson after the season.
That won’t happen, but they could spread the cap hit out over two years and take a $86.4 million dead cap hit in both 2025 and 2026. For reference, the largest dead cap hit in NFL history is Russell Wilson’s $85 million with the Denver Broncos after they moved on from that failed experiment.
Ultimately, Watson’s impact on the Browns’ roster-building will far outweigh any of the dreadful production he put forth for Cleveland on the field.