Three-time Pro Bowler whose Browns contract has become one of the league's most discussed trade liabilities.
Deshaun Watson sits at a career crossroads. The 2024 Achilles tear required two surgeries and kept him out for all of 2025. Cleveland enters 2026 with him under contract through 2026 on a fully guaranteed deal, and the team has held the No. 1 pick at multiple drafts trying to find an offensive answer around him.
Path to the league
Clemson national champion in 2016 who beat Alabama 35-31 to win the title. Texans took him 12th overall in 2017. Three Pro Bowls and a 2020 NFL passing yards title in Houston. Traded to Cleveland in March 2022 in a deal that included three first-round picks and a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract.
Career highlights
3x Pro Bowler. 2020 NFL passing yards leader (4,823). 2016 College Football Playoff National Champion (Clemson). Career: 22,000-plus passing yards, 150-plus TDs, 60.3 career completion percentage.
2025 season and outlook
Did not play. Suffered an Achilles re-rupture in January 2025 after appearing close to a return. Cleveland started Jameis Winston, Bailey Zappe and rookie Shedeur Sanders in 2025. Watson is expected to be cleared for OTAs in June 2026 but the team has not committed to him as the starter.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Deshaun Watson
- Pro Football Reference: Deshaun Watson
Statistics
2025 season and career▶Passing · career
| Year | Team | GP | CMP | ATT | YDS | TD | INT | RTG | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | browns | 7 | 137 | 216 | 1,148 | 5 | 3 | 79.0 | 21.0 |
| 2023 | browns | 6 | 105 | 171 | 1,115 | 7 | 4 | 84.3 | 43.7 |
| 2022 | browns | 6 | 99 | 170 | 1,102 | 7 | 5 | 79.1 | 40.4 |
| 2020 | texans | 16 | 382 | 544 | 4,823 | 33 | 7 | 112.4 | 63.7 |
| 2019 | texans | 15 | 333 | 495 | 3,852 | 26 | 12 | 98.0 | 70.5 |
| 2018 | texans | 16 | 345 | 505 | 4,165 | 26 | 9 | 103.1 | 61.8 |
| 2017 | texans | 7 | 126 | 204 | 1,699 | 19 | 8 | 103.0 | 83.7 |
▶Rushing · career
| Year | Team | GP | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | browns | 7 | 31 | 148 | 4.8 | 1 | 16 |
| 2023 | browns | 6 | 26 | 142 | 5.5 | 1 | 16 |
| 2022 | browns | 6 | 36 | 175 | 4.9 | 1 | 21 |
| 2020 | texans | 16 | 90 | 444 | 4.9 | 3 | 16 |
| 2019 | texans | 15 | 82 | 413 | 5.0 | 7 | 30 |
| 2018 | texans | 16 | 99 | 551 | 5.6 | 5 | 34 |
| 2017 | texans | 7 | 36 | 269 | 7.5 | 2 | 49 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Quarterback
- Group
- offense
- College
- Clemson
- Hometown
- Gainesville, GA, USA
- Age
- 30
- Status
- active
Latest news about Deshaun Watson
All news →AI Predicts Every Week 1 Game of the 2026 NFL Season
Touchdown Week's model went 26 of 49 on preseason winners. Now the picks that count: a projected score, win probability and confidence rating for all 16 Week 1 games, from the Super Bowl rematch in Seattle to Mahomes' return on Monday night.
Watson Calls Home Boos 'Disrespectful' as Sanders Makes His Case in Cleveland Loss
Coach Todd Monken says Watson's comments about the boos won't factor into the QB decision, and that he expects to name a starter between Watson and Sanders on Monday.
Bears Rout Browns 34-10 in Preseason Week 1
Chicago Bears 34, Cleveland Browns 10 at Soldier Field. Tyson Bagent went 13 of 22 for 169 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception.
Browns Name Deshaun Watson Starting QB for Preseason Opener
Watson delivered an 'awesome' first half in his season debut, going 11 of 15 for 126 yards and accounting for Cleveland's only points in a 34-10 loss to Chicago.
AI Predicts Every Preseason Week 1 Game
Coming off a correct call on the Hall of Fame Game, Touchdown Week's model picks every matchup from Thursday's six-game slate through Saturday's full Preseason Week 1 schedule.
Browns Lock Up Grant Delpit and Denzel Ward on New Extensions
Cleveland signed its starting safety to a three-year, $48M deal and its top cornerback to a two-year, $62.2M contract before camp began.
