Deshaun Watson's injury setback leaves Browns with little option in NFL Draft
By Quinn Everts
Deshaun Watson tore his Achilles in Week 7 of this season, and Cleveland Browns fans figured that would be the last they saw of Watson in a Cleveland uniform. Now, less than three months after Watson originally sustained the injury, he's had a "setback" to that injury, and is without a timetable for a possible return. If Watson's lack of a future with the Browns was in question before, this announcement feels like the door on his Browns tenure shutting for good.
I'm not sure I've seen a team announce an injury setback in January the way the Browns just did with Deshaun Watson. Coupled with the nature of the most recent restructure and it seems pretty clear they're signaling he's done here for good.
— Ben Axelrod (@BenAxelrod) January 6, 2025
If that's true, and Cleveland has already mentally moved on from Watson as QB1, then drafting a quarterback with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft feels like a must.
It won't be particularly fun — Browns fans aren't sold on the idea of a QB at No. 2, and the reasons for that differ. Some fans don't think there's a signal-caller worth of the second pick in this draft. Some fans would rather shore up other deficiencies on the roster and sign a free-agent quarterback this offseason. Some fans would rather the Cleveland Browns cease to exist, and they no longer have to root for a franchise which exists for the purpose of torturing its fans.
Shedeur Sanders could save the Browns
Maybe this is the equivalent to your toxic friend saying "I can change him" about her boyfriend that no one likes, but... maybe Shedeur Sanders really can save the Browns. If the Colorado Buffaloes quarterback is still on the board at No. 2 — in this scenario, the Titans drafted either Cam Ward or Travis Hunter — then Cleveland probably shouldn't overthink it.
A safety or a defensive tackle or an edge rusher to pair opposite Myles Garrett sounds great! But it also sounds a little pointless if Cleveland doesn't have a capable quarterback. We saw this year when an average roster doesn't have a reliable QB — it turns into one of the worst teams in the NFL.
Deshaun Watson is done as Cleveland's quarterback, and the team has a perfect chance to start anew with a fun, talented rookie QB behind center. It's not super complicated — draft Sanders at No. 2.