Deshaun Watson is competing to win back the Cleveland Browns' starting quarterback job, with the NFL team's Sept. 13 opener at the Jacksonville Jaguars offering a possible return point after two right Achilles injuries.
Deshaun Watson Back In Browns Quarterback Race
Watson spoke to reporters Wednesday for the first time in nearly two years, according to The Associated Press. The Browns quarterback said he cannot control outside opinion and is focused on showing who he is as a player, teammate and person.
The football question is whether Cleveland still sees a starting quarterback. AP reported that if Watson is named the starter for the opener at Jacksonville, it would be 693 days between starts.
His last game came in Week 7 of the 2024 season against the Cincinnati Bengals, when he ruptured his right Achilles tendon in the second quarter on a draw play.
Achilles Injuries Changed Cleveland Browns Plan
Watson tore the tendon again two months later and was declared out for the 2025 season. That sequence made a return to the Browns' starting job look unlikely as recently as last year.
Instead, the 10-year veteran is back in a competition that carries more baggage than most offseason depth-chart stories. Cleveland is not just evaluating practice throws; it is weighing injury history, availability and whether a major investment can still produce anything close to a return.
AP noted that Browns owner Jimmy Haslam said at last year's owners meetings that Cleveland took a major swing and miss when it traded for Watson. Watson, however, still believed he would get another chance after conversations with the front office and ownership.
Watson Contract Still Shapes NFL Decision
The Browns sent three first-round picks to the Houston Texans for Watson in 2022 and signed him to a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract. That deal continues to frame every football decision involving him.
For Cleveland, naming a starter will require more than deciding who looks sharp in June. The team has to judge whether Watson's body can hold up, whether the offense can trust his rhythm after the long layoff and whether the other quarterbacks in camp offer a cleaner path.
The Browns do not need a public-relations win from the quarterback competition. They need a workable starter. Watson's route back begins there, and the Sept. 13 game at Jacksonville is now the date that gives the story its shape.