The Cleveland Browns were unable to pull out a win in Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Unfortunately, they lost by a final score of 17-16 in heartbreaking fashion.
Despite the loss, the Browns were very competitive. Defensively, they were able to give Joe Burrow and the Bengals' offense a lot of trouble. Offensively, they were able to move the football, but Joe Flacco threw two interceptions in the loss.
Moving forward, the quarterback position will be watched very closely. Flacco is the starter right now, with two rookies behind him in Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.
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With that being said, there is another quarterback on the roster who has not been talked about much.
Deshaun Watson was acquired a few years back in a blockbuster trade with the Houston Texans. He was given a massive contract by Cleveland and has come nowhere close to living up to it. However, he's still on the roster.
Could he play this season? That is something a Browns' insider recently suggested.
Zac Jackson of The Athletic has suggested that Watson could indeed see the field at some point this year for Cleveland.
"Do I think that's anyone's intention? No. Do I think that it's likely at all, even if we get closer to that world? No. But there is a world. When he went on Active PUP instead of Reserve PUP, that made him eligible to play this season," Jackson said.
"That means that anytime after Week 4, he is eligible to return."
Watson taking the field this season would not make Browns fans happy. They are done with that era of Cleveland football. The fans would prefer to see Sanders or Gabriel receive a chance to play and prove themselves.
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Last season, before going down with a torn Achilles, Watson played in seven games. He completed 63.4 percent of his pass attempts for 1,148 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions. In 2023, he played in six games and threw for 1,115 yards, seven touchdowns, and four interceptions.
Granted, Watson's numbers haven't been horrible. However, he has barely been able to play and he hasn't been a quarterback capable of powering his team to wins.
It will be interesting to see if the Browns give Watson playing time this year. Should they choose to do so, the fan reaction would not be very positive.
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