Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson celebrated a birthday on Sunday.
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Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson celebrated a birthday on Sunday.
The Cleveland Browns turned some heads with a Deshaun Watson post on social media ahead of a Week 2 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens.
As they do with all their players, the Browns wished Watson a happy birthday with a post. Watson turned 30 on Sunday.
“Happy birthday, Deshaun,” the post read.
It quickly gained traction with more than 800 comments and nearly a million views. For context, they also posted a graphic for rookie running back Dylan Sampson’s birthday and it drew just a handful of comments and less than 100,000 views.
The comments were not kind to the Browns’ polarizing $230 million QB.
“You can skip the birthday wishes for him actually,” one fan said.
“Happy Birthday! This is a wonderful reminder that a year has passed and that we are one year closer to you being gone from Cleveland forever. Enjoy the day!” another added.
“Us fans of the team do not care about this bums birthday,” a fan said.
Deshaun Watson Trade Has Been Disaster for Browns
Watson landed in Cleveland in a 2022 blockbuster trade, but his tenure has been rocky. The former Pro Bowler has gone 9-10 as the Browns’ starter, missing significant time due to a lengthy suspension and multiple season-ending injuries. Over three seasons, he’s passed for 3,365 yards with 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
Browns owner Jimmy Haslam didn’t mince words when reflecting on the deal this summer, calling it a failure.
“We took a big swing-and-miss with Deshaun,” Haslam said. “We thought we had the quarterback; we didn’t. And we gave up a lot of draft picks to get him, so we’ve got to dig ourselves out of that hole.
“… [The trade] was an entire organization decision and it ends with Dee [Haslam] and I, so hold us accountable.”
Watson appeared to respond to his owner soon after with a message of his own on social media.
“Everyone is doubting me. Everyone don’t believe in me,” Watson said in a video. “Everyone don’t think I can get back to where I was. But I know, and I believe the work that I put in, that I believe in myself… I know, I’m gonna be way better than before.”
Browns QB Deshaun Watson Determined to Return
Watson is currently working his way back from an Achilles injury that has required two surgeries. He’s shared his progress on social media and has remained around the team’s facility, drawing rare reviews for his contributions.
“Deshaun’s doing awesome, he’s doing great,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said in August. “I’m excited for him. I get to watch him work out as well. I get to be in the meeting room with him every single day. So, he’s doing great.”
The Browns quarterback situation has been anything but clear this season. Cleveland had a four-man competition in camp for the starting role, which 40-year-old Joe Flacco won. They also have two rookie quarterbacks in Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. If Watson feels like he’s healthy enough to play this season, it could lead to a showdown with the Browns.
“At some point, he’ll be healthy. At some point, he’ll be cleared. What happens when he shows up with a piece of paper in hand that tells the world he’s ready to play?” Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk said in August. “The Browns may prefer to stash him on the physically unable to perform list for all of 2025. They owe him the money whether he’s on the roster or not. They qualify for maximum insurance coverage (and eventually cap relief) if he can’t play.”
Watson has not appeared in a game since October of last year.