Viral Stat Sheds New Light on Browns QB Deshaun Watson's Struggles

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nathan Dougherty | Last updated Dec 3, 2024 5:06 PM ET

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson was in the midst of one of his worst statistical seasons before suffering a season-ending Achilles tear, leading to questions about his future with the franchise.

Watson's struggles have gained even more scrutiny after veteran Jameis Winston stepped into the starting job, having more success than Watson with the same pieces on offense. Winston threw for 497 yards in a Monday Night Football loss to the Denver Broncos, throwing four touchdowns with three interceptions as the Browns scored a season-high 32 points.

As Browns reporter Danny Cunningham noted, wide receiver Jerry Jeudy had a career game with nine catches for 235 yards and a touchdown -- better than anything Watson had done through the air during his seven games this season.

"Jerry Jeudy's receiving yardage total tonight is higher than Deshaun Watson's passing yardage in every game he played this season," Cunningham shared in a post on BlueSky.

Winston's performance caused some to question Cleveland's commitment to Watson. The Browns owe Watson $46 million in each of the final two remaining years of his contract, so many believe they are stuck with him on the roster, but Troy Aikman questioned whether the team should have made the move to Winston sooner.

“But the albatross is Deshaun Watson. If you go to Jameis Winston earlier in the year, does this look different?" Aikman said, via the New York Post. "Because I would say the defensive struggles, in at least a small part, have had to do with how inept the offense has been moving the football. I think it’s affected the defensive play as well.”

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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