Injuries are unfortunate unless they do not come at a hefty price! And that’s what is happening with Browns’ QB Deshaun Watson. He has been ruled out, once again, of stepping onto the gridiron against the team’s preseason finale against the Seahawks. And what’s the price he has to pay now? The fuming fans’ trolls and wrath have become his nightmare from the sidelines.

NFL insider Adam Schefter tweeted on August 24, “Browns ruled out QB Deshaun Watson for tonight’s preseason finale vs the Seahawks.” However, he did share a positive update, too: “Watson, who has not played since undergoing shoulder surgery in November, is next slated to play the Browns’ regular-season opener against the Dallas Cowboys.” That’s nice, right? Wrong. The fans do not care. They have had enough of the QB.

The Browns locked him in with a 5-year, $230 million deal in 2022—big-time money, right? But with those dollar signs comes a mountain of pressure. So far, Watson hasn’t been exactly cashing in on the gridiron. He’s only managed to suit up for 12 games, thanks to an 11-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy, followed by shoulder surgery to fix a broken socket in his throwing arm. That injury sidelined him in 2023 after just 6 starts, leaving fans wondering if their team’s investment will ever pay off.

While Coach Kevin Stefanski initially hoped Watson would play in the final preseason clash, by August 21st, that optimism flipped. Stefanski revealed Watson missed Wednesday’s practice due to “general arm soreness.” While he brushed it off as nothing “overly concerning,” it could still limit Watson’s preseason reps. And it’s not exactly a wise play to launch him directly in Week 1. That just sounds like a page from a Hail Mary playbook.

A saga of “might” and “might not” has been brewing since 2022, leaving fans frustrated. But is it really just about the games he’s missed? Or does it have more to do with their handling of the entire situation?

“The whole ‘this is the plan for him to play in the final preseason game.’ Everybody knew it was a risk, right? We all knew,” Charles Robinson’s take, not ours. Who’s he? Charles is an investigative reporter so, you can expect him to look at scenarios from a deeper outlook. Just like in the Deshaun Watson situation. The guy who usually digs deep into the drama seems to think Coach Stefanski could’ve called a better audible. But why take the risk in the first place? That’s football, where gambles are part of the playbook, but this feels like throwing into double coverage without a clear plan.

Robinson didn’t stop there. “How does this not happen? And then suddenly, ‘general soreness’ pops up. Feels convenient, right?” Even fans freaked out over Watson’s limited practice with arm soreness.

Deshaun Watson’s injury situation is proof “he’s washed,” per fans

Despite positive news that he’ll be ready for Week 1, fans aren’t fully convinced. One quipped, “Ooof… Yeah, it’s not like he’ll be rusty. A guy who’s only played 12 games since 2020. 😅” Are they wrong, though? This was supposed to be the season where the Browns counted on their three-time Pro Bowler to bounce back. But the preseason hasn’t exactly been kind.

Seeing as the QB has barely played since the Browns signed him, one fan replied to Adam Schefter’s tweet: “Waste of $240M.” It has not taken time for the fans to call the audible on this one. As for Robinson’s take on the “general soreness,” per him, it was just an easy out to avoid that last preseason game. Makes you wonder, is this a legitimate concern or just another clever tactic to play it safe?

As one fan put it, “I’m tired of Deshaun Watson being my QB.” But mind you, this tiredness has been brewing for a long time.  Some are even saying, “He’s washed,” while others bluntly claimed, “Bro sucks anyway.”

Meanwhile, Robinson isn’t the only one raising red flags. Jason Lloyd from The Athletic joined the chorus, calling the Browns’ handling of Watson downright “weird.” He laid out the sequence like a playbook: Watson’s camp said he wouldn’t play, then Coach Stefanski said he would. But when Watson himself mentioned it was “news to him,” Kevin started backpedaling like a corner on a deep route. “It’s just odd,” Lloyd concluded. Indeed, it is!

But what’s the next play? Watson will be back on the gridiron soon, and Browns fans are eager to see him deliver on his promise. He was expected to be a three-time Pro Bowler who once threw for a league-high 4,823 yards in 2020. But he hasn’t even come close to that in the last two seasons combined. It’s a tough pill to swallow, right? Hence, this question comes up: Can Watson still be the ‘GUY’ to lead Cleveland to the promised land? He was supposed to be. Whether he can? Only time will tell.

Moving away from injuries, if you are interested in learning about Chris Gronkowski’s NFL journey, do check out our recent interview with him on the Dual Threat Podcast with BG12.