Deshaun Watson’s five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed contract is arguably the worst deal ever signed in the NFL. Signed in 2022, it has become a disaster for the Cleveland Browns, who have restructured the contract multiple times to spread out the dead money and slowly pay off the burden. This understandably confused Shannon Sharpe, who questioned why a player would agree to such a restructure when the entire contract is guaranteed. However, after the QB recently suffered another Achilles injury, Sharpe can see why.
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On the latest episode of Nightcap, Sharpe pulled up a video for his co-host to watch, which showed Deshaun “allegedly” (emphasis on allegedly) slow-dancing with his girlfriend 62 days after his Achilles surgery on October 25.
The QB was wearing normal clothes, nothing out of the ordinary, but Sharpe was confused as to why Watson wasn’t wearing a walking boot. As he recalled, his former teammates used to wear one for over three months while rehabbing from an Achilles rupture.
“Ocho, what normally happens: I’ve had a lot of teammates that have ruptured their Achilles. They are normally in a boot for at least three months.”
Sharpe asserted that when someone is in a walking boot, it keeps the foot immobile and helps the tendon heal. For months, the wearer of the boot can’t really move that leg. So, it’s no wonder Sharpe was pointing fingers at Deshaun:
“This is why, and Ocho, do you remember the conversation we had, and I’m like, ‘Why is he re-working his contract when he got guaranteed money?’ Now we know why!”
Sharpe is clearly alleging that Watson re-ruptured his Achilles by not following recovery protocols. It’s why he restructured his contract, as Sharpe speculates that the quarterback is about to miss the 2025 season. He also didn’t play the entire 2024 season — just seven games. The 2023 season was no different — it was Joe Flacco who led the team to the playoffs.
Reacting to Sharpe’s take, co-host Chad Johnson had only questions about what the Browns would do next. With the draft approaching, perhaps they’ll draft a QB. Or, like the 2023 season, they might bring back Joe Flacco — or maybe even Kirk Cousins. Only time will tell.
