Deshaun Watson is entering the final year of his contract with the Cleveland Browns and the veteran quarterback is convinced this can be the season everything finally comes together.
Frankly, it has to be for Watson.
Watson delivered his message in an extended video posted ahead of training camp. The video offered a look at the work Watson has put in as he prepares to compete with Shedeur Sanders for Cleveland’s starting quarterback job.
“I’m in a good (expletive) space. This is year five, man. So this is that time, you know what I’m saying,” Watson said. “Just like everybody else, I’ve been waiting too. Things got to line up right and I feel like this is the year that it can all come together.”
Watson has had little go according to plan since joining the Browns in 2022. Suspensions and injuries have limited him to 19 appearances in four seasons, but the 30-year-old believes he is physically and mentally prepared for his latest opportunity.
“Stacking the days, getting the body and movement right. Making sure I’m at my peak going into training camp, getting ready for the season,” Watson said. “Body, mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally — everything is in the right space, and I’m constantly building every day. I’m locked in already. I’m ready, for sure.”
Deshaun Watson Faces Make-or-Break Season With Browns
Watson’s fifth season in Cleveland will likely determine whether he has any future with the franchise — or even the NFL. The Browns acquired Watson from the Houston Texans and signed him to a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract in 2022. He has gone 9-10 as Cleveland’s starter while throwing 19 touchdown passes.
Watson’s 2023 season ended after six starts because of a shoulder injury that required surgery. He then ruptured his Achilles seven games into the 2024 season and suffered another rupture during his rehabilitation, requiring a second surgery. He missed all of last season.
Watson returned to the field for Cleveland’s offseason program and declared himself “fully healthy.” So far, he has impressed the Browns’ new coaching staff led by Todd Monken.
“He’s an extremely fast processor, very smart guy, he’s been working his butt off,” Browns QBs coach Mike Bajakian said. “It was obvious to us that before we had even got him on campus here, that he had done a lot of video work and things like that are pretty cool.”
Deshaun Watson Needs to Hold Off Shedeur Sanders for Browns’ QB1 Job
GettyCleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Watson and Sanders handled all of the first-team work during the spring. Head coach Todd Monken has said both quarterbacks performed well enough to keep the competition going into training camp.
“It would feel different if I didn’t feel like their progression hadn’t gotten to this point where I think they both can start and play winning football,” Monken said. “I’m convinced of it. And I’d say it if I didn’t. I mean, I can’t decide now because I think both have earned the opportunity to continue to compete once we put the pads on.”
Watson and Sanders also trained together in Florida during the break, working with several of Cleveland’s top offensive weapons. They now head into the most telling stretch of the competition in pads and in preseason games.
For Watson, there is no time left to wait for everything to align. The former Pro Bowler needs to show that he can win games and hold up when the intensity ramps up.
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