Since Cleveland traded for Deshaun Watson in 2022 and signed him to a fully guaranteed $230 million contract, he’s started just 12 games over two years. In the last of those 12, he guided the Browns to a 33-31 win at Baltimore in Week 10 while playing with a fractured throwing shoulder, which ended his season.
Prior to sitting out 2021 and an 11-game suspension in 2022, Watson posted the NFL’s fourth-best passer rating over his first four seasons (2017-20).
So, which version of Watson will the NFL see when the Browns open this campaign Sept. 8 at home against the Cowboys, in front of Tom Brady and a national FOX audience?
“The best version,” said teammate Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, answering Tom Pelissero’s question on NFL Network’s Insiders Tuesday. “He’s done the work, not only with himself but also with the relationship of the team.
“As far as play, this guy has really developed and worked on himself. He’s in there every day, first one in, last one out. So, I’m excited to see the Deshaun that truly pops up here in 2024-25.”
Also hoping for the best version of Watson are Myles Garrett, the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year, and the rest of that defense. The Browns led the league last season in fewest yards per game (270.2) and third-down percentage (29.13). Owusu-Koramoah, who signed a three-year contract extension last week, says the key to coordinator Jim Schwartz’s defense is allowing players to be themselves.
“Our defense really centers around personalities,” Owusu-Koramoah said. “What we do at the Browns, with Coach Schwartz, it’s a certain type of coaching. It’s a type of coaching, as you see on the highlights, that wants us to fly around. It’s coaching that’s wants us to have fun out there but also wants us to be free. It’s a defense that allows everybody to express their personality, whether it’s versatility, whether it’s power or speed, whatever that may be. It allows us to tap into what we do best.”