Can Watson Return to Elite Form? Longtime Beat Writer Weighs In

This longtime Cleveland Browns beat writer is confident that Deshaun Watson can get back to being the elite-level quarterback he once was as a three-time Pro Bowler with the Houston Texans.

Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot has faith in Watson and was surprised by his arm strength after seeing him throw during the Browns’ minicamp. Cabot believes he has the proper pieces around him to help him thrive — including head coach Kevin Stefanski and new offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey, who has a successful track record coaching quarterbacks with Josh Allen in Buffalo and Cam Newton in Carolina.

Cabot also expects Watson, who is coming off a season-ending shoulder injury in 2023, to “be mostly back to himself” by the time Cleveland opens the 2024 season Sept. 8 against the Dallas Cowboys.

“I absolutely think Watson can return to his elite form this season under Dorsey and Stefanski, who are committed to maximizing his talent and giving him every chance to excel,” Cabot wrote .

“He has everything he needs to succeed this season, providing Amari Cooper is back soon from his contract holdout. I was surprised at his arm strength during minicamp, and believe he’ll be mostly back to himself by the start of the season. If the repaired shoulder holds up and can absorb multiple violent collisions each game, I see no reason he can’t be the three-time Pro Bowler he was in Houston.”

Watson is entering his third season in Cleveland. He signed a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract with the Browns after being traded to Cleveland from the Houston Texans in March 2022.

Watson went 5-1 in six games with the Browns last season before the shoulder injury ended his campaign prematurely. In the six games he played in, Watson completed 61.4 percent of his passes for 1,115 yards and seven touchdowns with four interceptions. In what would be his final game of the season, he completed all of his passes after halftime while rallying the Browns from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Baltimore Ravens in Week 10.

Watson’s most recent full season came back in 2020, he was the NFL’s passing yards leader (4,823) as a member of the Texans. The 28-year-old has passed for 16,756 yards and 118 touchdowns with 45 interceptions in 66 career games with the Browns and Texans since being taken by Houston in the first round (12th overall) of the 2017 draft.

–Photo courtesy of Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK

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