Bill Simmons Says Former Superstar QB is Not ‘Salvageable’

Several quarterbacks starred in Week 1 of the new NFL season, including Dallas Cowboys' Dak Prescott, Minnesota Vikings' Sam Darnold, Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield and Buffalo Bills' Josh Allen, to name a few.

Cleveland Browns' Deshaun Watson wasn't one of them.

He had a forgettable return from injury after the Browns got annihilated by Prescott and the Cowboys, 33-17, on Sept. 8.

Playing for the first time since injuring his right shoulder in November 2023, Watson looked like a deer caught in the headlights. He was intercepted twice and got sacked six times by the Cowboys.

The 28-year-old quarterback finished 24-of-45 for 169 yards.

For The Ringer's Bill Simmons, it's clear that Watson is nowhere near his superstar level from a few years ago, judging by his poor performance in Week 1.

"I'm completely out, I don't see, I don't think he's salvageable," Simmons said on his podcast. "There's no evidence that the guy from his last Houston (Texans) season is coming back.

"He was a disaster."

Watson is in his third season with the Browns after signing a $230 million fully guaranteed deal in 2022.

"The fans were booing," Simmons noted. "I just don't know what their (Browns) moves are with Deshaun. His body language is awful.

"There was a couple of plays today where they had perfect protection for him in the pocket, and he would just scramble out anyway."

Watson had three Pro Bowl seasons with the Texans, including an elite campaign in 2020, when he led the league with 4,823 passing yards.

Off-field issues, however, hounded him the following year, including sexual harassment allegations, leading him to sit out the entire 2021 season.

Watson has the chance to bounce back against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sept. 15.

Related: Cowboys Coach Drops Blunt Take on Dak Prescott's $240M Contract