By Zac Jackson, Larry Holder and RJ Kraft
An MRI confirmed Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson suffered a season-ending Achilles tendon rupture in the team’s Week 7 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, according to a team source Monday. Watson will need surgery and the next steps are still to be determined.
The injury was suffered on a non-contact play in the first half Sunday. Watson was carted off the field with a towel over his head. With 1:26 left in the second quarter of the game in Cleveland, Watson took a snap on what had been the Browns’ best drive of the day. After taking the snap on what appeared to be a quarterback draw, Watson pushed forward before falling to the ground and grabbing his leg.
Coach Kevin Stefanski and members of the team’s medical staff were out to see Watson almost immediately and the entire Browns team surrounded Watson by the time he was helped to the cart.
Watson, 29, is in his third season with Cleveland after signing a five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed deal with the Browns in 2022. He has started 19 games for the Browns since arriving in a March 2022 blockbuster trade with the Houston Texans.
Cleveland gave up three first-round picks and still carries more than $170 million in cap commitments to Watson for future seasons. Last season, Cleveland lost Watson to a shoulder injury in a Week 10 win over the Baltimore Ravens. The team used four other starting quarterbacks to finish the season 11-6 and earn a wild card spot in the AFC playoffs.
This season, Watson has thrown for 1,148 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions. Sunday’s game was shaping up to be Watson’s best half of football on the season as he was 15-of-17 for 128 yards and had the Browns on the move against the Bengals defense before the injury.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson entered the game for Watson as Cleveland went on to finish the drive with a rushing touchdown by Nick Chubb in his first game of the season. Thompson-Robinson was promoted to the team’s backup this week. Jameis Winston had been the backup in the first six games and had played in short-yardage sneak situations.
Thompson-Robinson also exited the game in the fourth quarter with a finger injury after going 11-of-24 for 82 yards and two interceptions on the day. He was replaced by Winston, who was the team’s emergency quarterback after dressing as the backup for the first six week. He went 5-of-11 for 67 yards and a touchdown on the team’s final drive of Sunday’s 21-14 loss.
(Top photo: Jason Miller / Getty Images)
