Watson (Achilles) is done for the season after an MRI on Monday confirmed a torn Achilles, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Watson's season-ending injury during Sunday's 21-14 loss to the Bengals puts Jameis Winston in a position to enter the starting lineup for Cleveland, though it was Dorian Thompson-Robinson (finger) who suited up as the Browns' backup quarterback Sunday versus Cincinnati. After a contract restructure to create cap space in 2023 and 2024, Watson is on the books for a $46 million base salary in both of the 2025 and 2026 seasons, though it's possible that insurance for season-ending injuries could now provide the Browns with some relief. In any case, Watson faces a lengthy recovery process that could put him at risk of being unavailable early in the 2025 campaign.