Browns QB Deshaun Watson suffers likely season-ending Achilles injury
Deshaun Watson is likely done for the remainder of the the 2024 season in a serious blow to the Cleveland Browns.
The Browns quarterback was hurt during Cleveland’s Week 7 game against the Cincinnati Bengals, suffering an Achilles injury. 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 to be further evaluated.
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
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, and Stefanski acknowledged after the contest it looks like Watson’s injury will be season-ending.
‘Let’s get the tests first, but that’s what it looks like,’ Stefanski said when asked if the injury would be season-ending.
Watson’s diagnosis wasn’t a surprise. Close-up videos of the injury appeared to show the injury occurred in Watson’s right calf, which former NFL doctor David J. Chao said indicated the quarterback had torn his Achilles.
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.