Deshaun Watson hasn't played a full season since 2020, so it's been hard to really evaluate where his performance level is and how well he can lead a team. This season, the Cleveland Browns are hoping to get a full year out of him and with a massive contract, there is a lot at stake for the veteran to play well.
Things didn't start out so great for Watson and the Browns, who began their season 0-1 after a 33-17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. In the defeat, Watson went 24 of 45, a 53.3 completion percentage, with 169 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.
Watson had a lot more on his mind than just the football game, losing his father and a former teammate the week leading up to the season opener. The 28-year-old said he isn't using it as an excuse, but the deaths took an emotional toll on him.
"At the end of the day, football is definitely something that you got to take very, very seriously and it's our job, it's our career, but you know, there are other things that are bigger than this," Watson said, via SI.com. "I lost my dad Friday. I lost my brother, my teammate yesterday, Diondre Overton, only 26 years old. So, yeah, I mean, it's been a long week ... it wasn't even really about football."
Overton was shot in North Carolina and the police pronounced him dead after attempting to provide medical assistance.
Watson was raised by his mother Deann Watson and didn't have a close relationship with his biological father Don Richardson, but says the death still impacted him.
"Yeah, I try my best to just, you know, try at least for at least three hours to separate the two," Watson said. "But again, I'm not going to use that as an excuse for why we played bad. But, yeah, it was definitely a lot of, you know, a heavy heart these last couple of days. But again, like, I don't want to use that as an excuse of why we lost."
The QB has had such limited play the last few years, just 12 games since 2020, after a holdout in 2021, a suspension due to multiple accusations of sexual misconduct in 2022 that shortened his year and an injury to his shoulder that sidelined him halfway through last year, this slow start could be in part to the adjustment of being back.
Watson and Co. will head to Jacksonville next, to face the Jaguars, who lost their first game 20-17 to the Miami Dolphins. Both teams enter the matchup 0-1 and this should be an easier task for the Browns than their previous opponent.
Watson is currently 19th among quarterbacks for passing yards, 25th in completion percentage and tied for the most interceptions thrown in Week 1 so far.
