Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam referred to the Deshaun Watson trade as ‘a big swing and miss’ at the NFL’s annual league meeting.
Watson hopes to get a chance to prove Haslam wrong at some point in the not-so-distant future.
Watson narrated his thoughts about his future over a workout video posted to Instagram. The reel showed the Browns quarterback working to rehab a twice-torn right Achilles that is expected to keep him out for most – if not all – of the 2025 NFL season.
‘Everyone is doubting me,’ Watson said. ‘Everyone don’t believe in me. Everyone don’t think I can get back to where I was. But I know, and I believe the work that I put in, that I believe in myself. The peace that I’ve been channeling the last couple of months. I know I’m gonna be way better than before.’
Watson has played just 19 games for the Browns since being acquired from the Houston Texans in a 2022 trade and signing a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract. He has posted a 9-10 record across his starts while completing just 61.2% of his passes for 3,365 yards, 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
Watson has been plagued by injuries but has yet to come close to the performance he demonstrated early in his career with the Texans. He posted a 104.5 passer rating across his four seasons in Houston; his overall rating has declined to 80.7 across his three years in Cleveland.
Watson’s struggles and injuries have left the Browns seeking alternatives at the quarterback position. They traded for 2022 first-round pick Kenny Pickett during the offseason and are widely expected to select another quarterback early in the 2025 NFL draft.
Despite his shaky standing, Watson – 30 in September – is looking forward to rebounding and proving himself when he returns to the field.
‘You know, the performance comes when your back is against the wall,’ Watson said. ‘It comes better because you really gotta lock in. You don’t have anything pretty much to lose. And I feel like that’s where I’m at right now.’
