At age 30, Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson has had one of the most colorful NFL careers we’ve seen in a long time. From his superstar era with the Houston Texans to sexual assault charges from 24 women to washing up in Cleveland, Watson still has a long way to go to greatness. Nonetheless, some believe the quarterback is still far from the end of his run in pro football.
Ex-NFL LB Emmanuel Acho ‘Refuses’ To Believe Deshaun Watson Is Washed Up
Watson was handicapped by a torn ACL in his rookie year of 2017, ending what could’ve been a solid year. However, he recovered ahead of the 2018 season and never looked back.
For each of the ensuing three years, his passing totals lingered around 4,000 yards, except for 2020, when he hovered near 5,000 yards in a campaign that included 33 touchdowns and only seven interceptions (86 PFSN QB Impact).
While his career crashed and burned in Cleveland, as most quarterbacks do, former NFL linebacker Emmanuel Acho is convinced we might see a year of redemption in 2026.
“I’m on the island that refuses to believe that Deshaun went from that good to awful,” Acho said on “Speakeasy.” “I refuse to believe it, bro. Like, I think Deshaun Watson needed a hard reset emotionally, I think he needed a hard reset spiritually — he’s been married since, he settled down.”
“I think Deshaun Watson is going to play at a higher level than the Cleveland Browns have seen in the last two years…Rookie Shedeur…39 year old Joe Flacco”
– @EmmanuelAcho is optimistic about Deshaun Watson’s return to QB1 for the Browns
LIVE HERE ➡️ https://t.co/f4H3dQB55c pic.twitter.com/jUTYau2MMA
— Speakeasy (@speakeasytlkshw) March 3, 2026
At this point, Baker Mayfield has proven to be the only good quarterback in Browns history who’s not from the 20th century. There’s about a four-decade hole at the franchise’s quarterback position, and it’ll take a superstar to fill it.
Acho, however, believes Watson is a step in the right direction.
“I think Deshaun Watson is going to come back and play at a higher level at quarterback than what the Browns have seen in the last two years,” he said. “It’s not saying that much, but I think he’s going to play better than a rookie Shedeur Sanders and a 39-year-old Joe Flacco.”
Watson compiled a stat line of 14,539 passing yards, 104 touchdowns, and 36 picks in his time in Houston. He also recorded 307 carries for 1,677 yards and 17 scores in those four years.
If new Browns head coach Todd Monken can tap into that version of Watson, Cleveland could see the dawn of a new era.
“I think Desahaun Watson can play at a .500 level,” Acho added. “He has a positive touchdown-interception ratio since he has been in Cleveland… So, I think Deshaun Watson is going to go out there and play winning football. He has to.”
Monken is a proven offensive mind in the NFL, having helped turn Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson into a superstar. Jackson’s skill set resembles Watson’s, opening up a massive door for the Browns.
