The cause of Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson’s setback in his recovery from an Achilles tear has been revealed.
The Browns announced Friday afternoon that the quarterback ruptured his right Achilles tendon again. The announcement comes days after Browns general manager Andrew Berry said Monday that Watson’s initial recovery timeline had been delayed.
According to the team’s news release, Watson had surgery on Thursday to repair the new injury to the tendon.
Watson, 29, initially tore his right Achilles tendon on Oct. 20 during the Browns’ Week 7 clash with the Cincinnati Bengals. He had surgery to repair it five days later.
Less than three months after the initial surgery, Watson has ruptured the same tendon again and returned for another procedure Thursday.
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His status for the 2025 season remains unclear for now. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that doctors are giving Watson a seven-month recovery timeline after his latest procedure, giving him a chance to return midway through next season.
Deshaun Watson contract
In March 2022, the Houston Texans traded Watson to the Browns for three first-round picks, a third-round pick and two fourth-rounders. That same day, Cleveland signed the quarterback to a five-year, fully guaranteed contract extension that would keep him in town through the 2026 season.
Here are the full contract details:
Term: 5 years
Total value: $230 million
Average annual value (AAV): $46 million
Guaranteed money: $230 million
According to Spotrac, the Browns owe Watson $46 million in base salary next season, in addition to almost $9 million from a prorated signing bonus and almost $18 million as part of a prorated restructure. In total, Spotrac projects his 2025 cap hit to be about $72.94 million.
Jason Fitzgerald, the founder of OverTheCap.com, reported Monday morning after Berry’s initial announcement that the Browns have $44.3 million of Watson’s 2025 salary insured for injury. Cleveland would get significant compensation as a result if the quarterback can’t play in 2025.
Deshaun Watson stats
Here’s how Watson’s stats look in the three years since he joined the Browns:
Games: 19
Completion rate: 341-for-557 (61.2%)
Passing yards: 3,365
Yards per attempt: 6.0
Passing touchdowns: 19 (TD%: 3.4)
Interceptions: 12 (Int%: 2.2)
Passer rating: 80.7
Watson has played an average of 6.33 games per season since coming to Cleveland. His completion rate, yards per attempt and passer rating (as well as TD% and Int%) are all worse than his marks in four years with the Texans.