Deshaun Watson has once again endured a failed season, and this time, Shannon Sharpe wants the Browns and the QB to part ways for good. He doesn’t believe Watson’s time in the NFL should be over, though. Sharpe, however, thinks the Browns need to cut their losses and turn to someone new.
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Sharpe discussed the situation on his talk show, Nightcap, with his co-host Chad Johnson. Johnson tried to defend Watson, referencing his age and past career accomplishments, but the limited number of games Watson has played over the last five seasons left both him and Sharpe looking uneasy.
“It’s not working, and it’s too late to turn back now,” Sharpe stated. “I just believe there is too much damage that’s been done to his body. Second Achilles [injury], he’s going to miss ’25. If you think about it, Ocho, the man might have played an entire season in the last four years. And that’s if you put the games together.”
Sharpe went on to list the seasons Watson has missed recently. In 2021, he didn’t play amid a sexual assault lawsuit. He then signed with the Browns for a fully guaranteed 5-year, $230 million contract, and served an 11-game suspension in 2022, logging just six games.
In 2023, he tore the rotator cuff in his throwing shoulder and fractured his arm, again managing only six games. This past season, he played in seven total games before tearing his Achilles — and then re-ruptured it during rehab. From a health standpoint, it’s concerning how many injuries Watson has sustained. The human body can only take so much. He already looked like a shell of his former self from his Houston days.
Ocho still doesn’t think it’s time to start writing him off, but Sharpe believes the Browns should at least consider moving on.
“I just think the best thing for Deshaun, and I hate to say this: I think it’s just time for them to part ways… As much as I wanted to see it, he’s never going to be what he was in Houston,” Sharpe claimed.
The take earns much agreement in the NFL community. Watson has not looked like the player he once was since getting to Cleveland. Whether it’s the system, coaching, personnel around him, or the Cleveland curse — something isn’t working. Sometimes, the best thing to do for both parties in that situation is to go their separate ways and wish one another the best.
Watson was once the most dynamic QB in the league, constantly churning out highlight reel plays week in and week out. His slippery maneuvers in the pocket, mixed with his rocket-throwing arm, made for some enticing TV. But something has changed about him since he took the ’21 season off due to the lawsuits. And it’s got to be a mental hurdle because he has shown some flashes of brilliance with the Browns.
Last season, he had a 5-1 record when he was the starter. It was such a good start that Joe Flacco eventually took over for the injured Watson and led the team to the playoffs.
But with a second Achilles tear during the rehab process, the question now becomes: Can Watson make it back to the NFL at all? It’s about as uphill as a battle can get. And with no fan support around him rallying him to get back, the motivation levels could start to get extremely low. We’ll see if he uses the hate as fuel or fades into existence.
