It wasn’t too long ago when Deshaun Watson was considered one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. But, after the incident with the massages and subpar play in recent years, many have seen the worst of the quarterback in recent memory. Then again, we have to remember: this guy was and still is a winner. He is the forgotten superstar.
Watson’s Rise To Stardom
The Houston Texans drafted Watson in the 2017 NFL Draft with the 12th overall pick. Chosen two selections after Patrick Mahomes, the team found their franchise guy. He was a winner at Clemson, leading the Tigers to their first national title in 2016. Statistically, he was unbelievable, throwing for 4,593 yards and 41 touchdowns during his last season and adding nine rushing touchdowns.
A dual-threat quarterback, he also won other hardware besides the big prize. In his sophomore season, he not only led Clemson to the national championship but also won the Davey O’Brien Award as the nation’s best quarterback. Oh, and he won the Heisman twice, no big deal.
Scouts loved his ability to be mobile in the pocket and not panic when pressure did come. A tremendous athlete, he was known to have great velocity and touch on his throws. Then, you have to consider his ability to perform when the lights shine the brightest. In the two games against Alabama in the national championship, he averaged a total of 472 yards of offense and had eight total touchdowns. A winner, indeed.
Thrown Into The Fire
Watson was the starting quarterback right from the jump, starting week one against the Jacksonville Jaguars in front of his home crowd. It was a lackluster debut, throwing for just 102 yards, a touchdown, and an interception.
Unfortunately, Watson was placed on the injured reserve list before week nine, as he tore his ACL during practice. Despite going just 3-4 his first year, he did throw for 1,699 yards and 19 touchdowns. This included a five-touchdown performance against the Kansas City Chiefs (which was unfortunately a 42-34 loss).
Fully healthy in his second season, he displayed his winning ways. He went 11-5 in 2018, throwing for over 4,100 yards and 26 touchdowns. Also, he displayed his rushing ability, running for 551 yards and five touchdowns. More importantly, Watson’s play carried the Texans to the AFC South division title and a playoff appearance. Unfortunately, the magical season ended with a wild-card loss to the Indianapolis Colts.
Despite the loss, Watson made his first Pro Bowl. Well-deserved, indeed.
In 2019, Watson led the Texans to ten wins and clinched another division title. This time, Houston got past the wild-card round, thanks to a 22-19 win. The signal-caller was efficient, going 20/25 for 247 yards and a touchdown. He also added 55 yards on the ground and a score with his legs.
However, the run would end in the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs. Despite jumping to an early 21-0 lead in the first quarter, Houston only scored 10 points the rest of the way. You would think that was enough to get a win. Wrong. Kansas City would explode for 51 points from the second quarter on and knocked Watson and the Texans out of the postseason.
Watson was great, throwing for 388 yards and had three total touchdowns. But, the defense ruined his great day and that was the end of that. Despite the loss, he would make his second straight Pro Bowl.
The Start Of The Decline
2020 was an awful year for Houston, as they would sport a record of 4-12. Watson wasn’t to blame. he had a league-leading 4,823 yards passing, all while having 33 touchdowns to just seven interceptions (a career-low in that category). Making his third-straight Pro Bowl, many expected Watson to one day help the Texans reach the promised land sooner rather than later.
Then, the incident happened. Watson was accused of sexual assault by a massage therapist in March of 2021. The rest, you know what happened. But, in case you need some refreshing.
Watson, of course, did not play in 2021. Then, he was surprisingly traded to the Cleveland Browns in the offseason.
The last pick from the Deshaun Watson trade was just used. A final look at the trade:#Texans got:
— NFL Stats (@NFL_Stats) April 27, 2024
• DE Will Anderson Jr
• WR Tank Dell
• RB Dameon Pierce
• G Kenyon Green
• CB Kamari Lassiter
• LB Jamal Hill
• S Caden Bullock#Browns got:
• QB Deshaun Watson
• 2024… pic.twitter.com/LYIdWc21Li
Six picks, including three first-rounders, were sent to Houston in exchange for the signal-caller. A big package for a quarterback who hadn’t played in a year and had to serve an 11-game suspension to start 2022. Ouch.
When he finally took the field in week 12, it was clear he had a lot of rust to shake off. He only threw for 131 yards and an interception in the win against his former team in Houston. Watson would have a total of 1,102 yards, seven touchdowns, and five interceptions in six games played. Cleveland was 3-3 under his leadership, finishing with a total record of 7-10.
Injuries reared its ugly head in 2023. He played just six games before being shut down for the season with an arm fracture. However, the Browns were 5-1 in games that he started, showing his winning ways once more.
The Forgotten Superstar
From injuries to off-the-field issues, many don’t have Watson in the top-10 quarterback conversation like he once was. In fact, PFF has him ranked as the 23rd-best starter in the NFL due to his disappointing play since joining the Browns. His 58.7 PFF passing grade over the past two seasons is one of the worst in the league, which explains the ranking.
But, we can’t count him out yet. It wasn’t too long ago when Watson was leading his team to wins and playoff appearances. He is still a dual-threat guy who can hurt you with his arm and legs. We’ve seen that. Even last year, he led the Browns to a winning record. Losing isn’t really in his DNA.
Though a record of 36-29 as a starter isn’t saying much, it’s still a winning one nonetheless. When healthy, he is dangerous. 2024 will be a big year for Deshaun Watson, and I have no doubt he will show the doubters wrong. With solid weapons around him, the forgotten superstar is ready to make his comeback.
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Featured Image: Nick Cammett/Getty Images
