Deshaun Watson will be out for the remainder of the 2024 season, a serious blow to the Cleveland Browns.
The Browns quarterback suffered an Achilles injury during Cleveland’s Week 7 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. The injury occurred with 1:22 left in the first half. Watson looked like he was trying to scramble up the middle after a seam opened in the offensive line.
As Watson went forward, his right leg buckled underneath him. He immediately went down without being hit and remained down on the ground in evident pain.
Cleveland’s medical staff came out to tend to Watson on the field. After several minutes, they loaded the veteran quarterback onto a cart and took him back to the locker room for further evaluation.
Watson was emotional as he left the field. He had a towel draped over his head, and it seemed he was crying.
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Deshaun Watson injury update
On Monday, the Browns provided an update on Watson’s condition, via the team’s social media accounts:
‘Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) this morning confirmed that Deshaun Watson sustained a ruptured right Achilles tendon in the second quarter of yesterday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals,’ the Browns wrote. ‘The injury will require surgical repair, and Deshaun will miss the remainder of the 2024 season. A full recovery is expected.’
The Browns announced early in the third quarter that Watson had suffered an Achilles injury. The veteran quarterback was ruled out for the game because of the injury.
Who is Deshaun Watson’s backup on Browns depth chart?
Dorian Thompson-Robinson was called upon to replace Watson in Cleveland’s lineup. The second-year quarterback had served as the team’s third-string quarterback behind veteran Jameis Winston, the No. 1 pick in the 2015 NFL draft, for the first six weeks of the season but was promoted for the matchup against the Bengals on the depth chart.
Winston was named Cleveland’s emergency third quarterback in Week 7 despite being inactive for Sunday’s game. He will be able to enter the game if Thompson-Robinson is injured and ruled out for the game but will otherwise remain on the bench.
Deshaun Watson stats
Watson enjoyed a solid outing before exiting the game, completing 15 of 17 passes for 128 yards. He did not lead the Browns to any points while in the game but twice led them into scoring range, including on the drive during which he was injured.
Watson entered Week 6 having completed 61.3 percent of his passes for 1,020 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions. His passer rating of 76.6 ranked 28th in the NFL among 31 qualified passers.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.