When the Cleveland Browns traded for Deshaun Watson, they knew he’d have a huge target on his back from day one. The former Houston Texans star was in the midst of a complicated legal situation and nearly two dozen women accusing him of inappropiate behavior, and he had been away from the game for more than a season.
Signing him to a fully guaranteed contract extension worth $230 million only made things worse, and he would have little to no margin for error. So, after watching him struggle in limited action last season, he was expected to take a major leap in 2023.
That hasn’t been the case thus far. He’s been erratic and careless with the football, and two of his turnovers cost his team a divisional game vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers. To make things worse, his shocking decision to sit out vs. the Baltimore Ravens reportedly created turmoil within the locker room.
Willie Colon Rips Deshaun Watson For Sitting Out
Watson was medically cleared to play after suffering a shoulder injury, and the ailment wasn’t believed to be major, but he still decided he wouldn’t suit up. He told the team his decision shortly before kickoff, forcing rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson to start.
Deshaun Watson – Cleveland Browns – NFL 2023
That’s why former Super Bowl champion Willie Colon didn’t mince his words against him, ripping him for not understanding the injury between being injured and being hurt, and stating that he would be livid if he were one of his teammates:
“I’m a fan of Deshaun Watson but if I’m an offensive lineman, I’m like ‘come on homie’. You’re embarrassing us because we need you,” Colon said on The Carton Show. “We are not a competent offense unless you are out there. We have a No. 1 defense. You are supposed to be the No. 1 quarterback and you’re afraid to leave the locker room? You should be embarrassed of yourself because, in the AFC North, we pride ourselves on football, defense and going out and kicking butt. He’s supposed to be a butt-kicker. He is soft right now. If I was on the Cleveland Browns, I’d be absolutely livid. Get your tail out there and play some damn football.”
Notably, he’s not the only one who talked about this issue, as Jason Lloyd of The Athletic wrote that “Watson told everybody all week he was playing, players after the game were kind of aggravated he didn’t play,” so this could’ve taken a toll on his credibility in the locker room.
Watson Has Yet To Practice
According to a report by Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk, Watson has yet to play or practice since getting medically cleared on October 1. The team is now in line to start veteran backup P.J. Walker, and it would be the 25th straight season in which they need to start at least three different quarterbacks.
No one wants to force a player to play through pain or anything like that, and Watson knows his body better than anybody else. Nonetheless, with Joe Burrow playing through a calf injury, and Derek Carr not missing time after suffering the exact same injury as Watson, some around the league feel like they’ve made the Clemson product look bad.
Browns insiders fear that this could cost Watson the locker room. He already got his fully guaranteed money, and they might feel like he doesn’t want to win as badly as they do. He worked overtime to earn their respect with bonding trips and workouts, but at the end of the day, they wanted to see him on the field.
see also
Browns make intriguing quarterback decision regarding Deshaun Watson
Thus far, Watson has been less than impressive, throwing for 678 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions, all while completing 63% of his passes. He’s also rushed 15 times for 83 yards and one touchdown, but he’s also fumbled four times for the 2-2 Browns.
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