Cleveland Browns starting quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Ken Blaze-Imagn Images.
Just a couple of days after being named the Cleveland Browns' starting quarterback, team captain Deshaun Watson was caught speeding in yet another chapter in his eventful offseason.
Fox8 reports that Watson was given a speeding ticket for allegedly driving 86 in a 60 mph zone on I-480 in Cleveland on Wednesday, Aug. 26. He entered a not guilty plea on Wednesday, Sep. 9, and a bench trial is set for Wednesday, Sep. 23.
Deshaun Watson has a tough start to the season as the Browns' starting quarterback
Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson before preseason game against the New England Patriots.
Ken Blaze-Imagn Images.
It will be a tough start to the season for Watson after he was named the Browns' starting quarterback. The Browns start their 2026 season with two games on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Their first home game is not until Sunday, Sep. 27, against the Carolina Panthers. Their two-game homestand will conclude with a matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday Night Football in Week 4.
Watson beat out the likes of Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel to win the starting quarterback job during the offseason. At one point, Watson looked like the next big thing in the NFL, especially after the 2020 season.
Over the last three years in Cleveland, Watson has only played in 19 games after signing a fully guaranteed, five-year, $230 million deal with the team. He has regressed significantly, only passing for 19 touchdowns against 12 interceptions in three seasons.
In March 2021, he was accused of sexual assault by a massage therapist. Unfortunately, this woman was the first of many to speak out against the quarterback.
This began a fall from grace for the former first-round pick out of Clemson. During his collegiate career, he won a national championship with the Tigers in 2016. Watson started his career with the Houston Texans in 2017, making three Pro Bowls and leading the NFL in passing yards in 2020.