Deshaun Watson Achilles Injury Update: Latest news and updates on Browns QB after exiting Bengals game

Browns starting quarterback Deshaun Watson had to be carted off the field in the second quarter of the Week 7 game against the Bengals.

Watson injured his Achilles tendon late in the first half. The Browns quarterback immediately grabbed his ankle in pain as the training staff took the field to tend to the star quarterback.

As a result, he had to be taken off the field and will not return on Sunday.

Dorian Thompson-Robinson was the Browns’ backup quarterback today and entered the contest replacing Watson. That is, until Thompson-Robinson was also injured in the fourth quarter, resulting in Jameis Winston entering action. Winston was considered Cleveland’s emergency quarterback after being QB2 for the last six games.

At the time of his departure, Watson was 15-of-17 through the air for 128 yards for the Browns. Cleveland was still on the scoreboard, but a rushing TD by Nick Chubb put the Browns on the board in the game against Cincinnati, making it 7-6 before halftime.

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Here’s more to know about Watson’s injury.

Deshaun Watson Achilles Injury Update

Watson injured his Achilles tendon with 1:26 left in the second quarter of the Browns-Bengals game.

The Cleveland quarterback tried to go up the middle on a second-down play with the shotgun, but immediately fell to the ground in pain.

The cart is already coming out for Deshaun Watson and the entire Browns team is coming out to see Deshaun Watson in the cart pic.twitter.com/rBxkiHSgEg

-Kelsey Conway (@KelseyLConway) October 20, 2024

The Browns later ruled Watson out of the game due to an Achilles injury.

The injury could keep Watson out even longer, as he is feared to have suffered a season-ending torn Achilles tendon, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

It’s an injury that looks a lot like the Achilles injury suffered by Jets QB Aaron Rodgers last season, which kept him out for the entire 2023 campaign.

#Browns Extracted QB Deshaun Watson is feared to have suffered an Achilles injury, sources say. A likely season-ending injury for Watson and, unfortunately, exactly how it appeared on the field. pic.twitter.com/SWUc4AGmYq

-Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 20, 2024

Watson has missed time the past two seasons due to injuries. He played just six games in 2022 and also just six in 2023 as health and a suspension kept him sidelined for most of those campaigns.

Browns QB Depth Chart

1. Deshaun Watson

The Browns paid Watson to be their starting quarterback when the team shelled out $230 million in guaranteed money in 2022. It would be difficult for the three-time Pro Bowler to live up to that contract.

So far, it has been a disastrous business. Injuries plagued Watson’s first two seasons in Cleveland, as he only suited up for a total of 12 games as a Brown in 2022 and 2023. After playing just six games in 2022, he played in the same number in 2023. In those six games , he completed 61.4% of his passes for 1,115 yards, seven touchdowns and four interceptions.

In 2024, Watson completed 61.3% of his passes for 1,020 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions.

2. Dorian Thompson-Robinson

After six weeks as an emergency QB, Dorian Thompson-Robinson is QB2 for the Browns.

Thompson-Robinson is in his second season in the NFL. The UCLA product saw action in eight games last season for the Browns, including three starts. He completed 53.6% of his passes for 440 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions. He also added 65 yards on the ground with his legs. The 2023 fifth-round pick appeared in his rookie preseason but failed to stick as a starter.

He started this season as the QB3 on the roster, behind Watson and Jameis Winston. However, he got the promotion in week 7.

3. James Winston

Winston has been Watson’s backup until the sudden change in Week 7.

The veteran QB played four games for Cleveland, but attempted just one pass, which went 16 yards.

After four seasons as a backup in New Orleans, Winston signed a one-year, $4 million contract with Cleveland this offseason, giving the Browns a reliable option to back up Watson. Winston, 30, saw action in seven games last season, throwing for 264 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions, completing 53.2% of his passes.

In his four years with the Saints, Winston started 10 times, with seven of those starts coming in 2021. He made the other three starts in 2022 and didn’t start any games last year for the Saints with Derek Carr in charge.

Deshaun Watson contract

Watson signed a five-year, $230 million contract in the 2022 offseason. The deal included a $44.965 million signing bonus and all $230 million fully guaranteed, the largest amount of guaranteed money of any player. in NFL history.

With the deal, Watson has an average base salary of $46 million per year, making him one of the highest-paid QBs in the league.