Deshaun Watson, the quarterback for the Cleveland Browns, will miss the remaining games of the season due to a torn Achilles.
An MRI confirmed that Watson experienced a rupture in his right Achilles tendon, the team reported on Monday. This setback means he will miss the remainder of the season, and a full recovery is anticipated, the team added.
Watson sustained the injury in the Browns' 21-14 home defeat against the Cincinnati Bengals, happening in the second quarter during a routine play with no contact involved. At the moment Watson hit the ground, cheers could be heard from the spectators – a fact acknowledged by Browns players post-game – at Huntington Bank Field.
An emotional Watson was transported off the field pertaining to the Browns' slipping to 1-6 on the season.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson took Watson's position, but he too suffered an injury, suffering a finger injury in the fourth quarter and finishing with a record of 11-of-24 passes for 82 yards, two interceptions.
Jameis Winston, who had been made inactive as the emergency third-string quarterback prior to the Browns' game against the Bengals, took over for Cleveland. He totaled 5-of-11 passes for 67 yards and a touchdown.
Watson, aged 29, has spent three seasons with the Browns, and Cleveland is 9-10 when he acts as their starting quarterback.
The Browns traded multiple first-round draft picks to acquire Watson in March 2022 and went on to offer him a five-year, fully-guaranteed contract worth $230 million.
Watson, who has been involved in numerous civil lawsuits involving allegations of sexual harassment or assault against him, was suspended for the initial 11 games of the 2022 season for failing to adhere to the league's personal conduct policy during his tenure with the Houston Texans.
In 2023, Watson's season was cut short due to a shoulder injury.
Browns players didn't take kindly to the audience's response to Watson's injury on Sunday.
"It was much harder with the response that fans gave," Browns defensive end Myles Garrett shared with reporters on Sunday. "Whether it's an opponent who goes down or one of our own, we don't boo. We don't boo injured players on the field, especially when the carts are called for.
"We should be ashamed of ourselves as Browns and as fans to boo anyone and their downfall. This could be a career-altering injury.
"Man is not perfect; he doesn't need to be. None of us are expected to be perfect. Can't judge him for what he does off the field or on the field because I can't throw stones from my glass house.
"But we need to do better, we need to do better on the football field, and we need to do better as fans for having some empathy for a man who's doing the best he can and has done the best he can up to this point. We have to do better."
"I don't think it's ever OK to cheer when someone's injured," Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski stated on Sunday. "I'm sure it's not every person in that building doing that, but it's disappointing."
On Sunday, Winston delivered a lengthy and passionate defense of Watson.
"The way I was raised, I was taught to love, no matter the situations. Especially for people who do right by you," Winston said. "I'm grateful that I had a chance to serve Deshaun, but I am very upset with the reaction to a man that has had the world against him for the past four years.
"And he put his body and life on the line for this city, every single day. Regardless of your perception, regardless of what you thought should happen with him, he committed every single day that I've been here to be the best that he can be for this team.
"And I know, I come from the deep south. Birmingham, Alabama. Bessemer, Alabama. So I know the standard that passionate fans want. But the way I was raised, I would never, I would never pull on a man when he is down. But I will be the person to lift him up.
"All of us have unique experiences, all of us have circumstances, conditions and facts that we face every single day, and I pride myself in being a man of increase, and being a man that wants the best out of everybody. I tell myself every morning, what I want for myself, I want for everyone.
"And I do not want the treatment that Deshaun Watson has received from these passionate fans. I know you love this game. When I first got here, I knew these were some amazing fans. But Deshaun was treated badly, and now he has to overcome another obstacle.
"So I'm going to support him, I'm going to lift him up and I'm going to be there for him. Because I see the way he fights. I see the way that he works, and I know who he is as a person and as an NFL quarterback.
"That's all I have to say to address him. I'm sending up my prayers – I already prayed for his leg and I will continue."
Despite the challenging circumstances, Watson remains committed to his rehabilitation and recovery, aiming to return to the sport he loves.
Given Watson's impact on the team and his personal tenacity, the Browns fanbase is hoped to rally behind him during his time away from the field.
