While Deshaun Watson has been with the Cleveland Browns since 2022, he’s played fewer games than what would comprise an entire regular season. He suited up for the last six games of 2022 after serving his suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. A year later, he ended his campaign after just six games due to an injury to his throwing shoulder that required surgery.
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Given that he hasn’t proven anything since transferring from the Houston Texans, ESPN’s Courtney Cronin believes that Watson will be the quarterback carrying the highest expectations coming into the 2024 NFL season. Cronin laid out several points that support her argument during her recent appearance on ‘First Take.’
The ESPN reporter mentioned Watson’s five-year, $230 million, fully guaranteed contract, which made him the fourth-highest-paid player in the NFL at the time of signing. The $46 million annual average was even higher than the average of Patrick Mahomes’ ten-year, $450 million contract with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Likewise, Cronin recalled that Watson was a fantastic quarterback before the trade. The former Clemson standout led the league in passing yards (4,823) and threw a career-high 33 touchdowns in 2020 — his final playing year with the Texans. He secured a Pro Bowler nod each year from 2018 to 2020, with two 4,000-yard seasons over that stretch.
Cronin also pointed out the draft capital Cleveland surrendered to get Watson, which the Texans have put to good use. Through additional transactions, Houston converted Cleveland’s six selections into guard Kenyon Green, running back Dameon Pierce, defensive end Will Anderson Jr., wide receiver Tank Dell, cornerback Kamari Lassiter, and tight end Cade Stover.
Finally, the Browns are a playoff-caliber team, as proven by their magnificent run last year behind CPOY Joe Flacco’s resurgence. Therefore, Cronin wholeheartedly believes that Watson will need to maintain that status and guide the club to the postseason, and beyond. Otherwise, all the sacrifices the team made will be in vain.
Sam Acho Believes the QB Who Replaced Watson Carries the Highest Expectations
While Cronin made some valid points, former NFL linebacker Sam Acho mentioned that the expectations for Texans quarterback CJ Stroud to deliver this season are higher than Watson’s. Coincidentally, trading Watson to Cleveland led to Houston’s 3-13-1 finish in 2022, putting them in position to draft Stroud with the second overall pick the following year.
Acho feels that Stroud’s performance during his rookie season has Texans fans expecting that he will replicate or improve on those numbers. The former Ohio State standout won the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award after finishing with 319 completions for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns, and only five interceptions.
.@TheSamAcho says C.J. Stroud is the QB with the highest expectations pic.twitter.com/MTYoB3jG3h
— First Take (@FirstTake) July 5, 2024
Similarly, the masterful offseason that Texans general manager Nick Caserio had put more pressure on Stroud to go beyond their Divisional Round finish last season. In addition to the free-agent signings that bolstered their defense, the Texans traded for Joe Mixon and Stefon Diggs.
Getting the All-Pro wideout gives Stroud another reliable target who can boost his stats. Acho stressed that Diggs can help elevate Stroud’s game, as evident from his tenure with Josh Allen in Buffalo.
In addition to Cronin and Acho’s opinions, Chris Carlin mentioned that Aaron Rodgers carries the highest expectations because he didn’t achieve much in his debut season with the New York Jets. Despite playing just four snaps, the spotlight on the QB never dimmed.
