No player has seen their public image shift as drastically in recent years as Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson. Once beloved by fans and respected across the NFL, his career unraveled into chaos starting in 2021, when sexual misconduct allegations surfaced.
This turned Watson into a villain in the eyes of many, particularly among fans. But how is he viewed by the league and within the Browns organization? A team insider shed light on the complex and often tense relationship surrounding Watson’s name behind the scenes.
Is Deshaun Watson Viewed As a Villain Inside the Browns Organization?
A professional athlete’s trajectory can be altered in an instant, as seen with Watson, whose circumstances dramatically changed following the emergence of sexual misconduct allegations in 2021. That led the Houston Texans to trade what was once considered their franchise quarterback to the Browns during the 2022 offseason in a blockbuster deal.
Watson was acquired for a massive package of picks, including three first-round selections, and soon after signed a historic five-year, fully guaranteed $230 million contract. The deal reshaped how teams approach quarterback negotiations across the league.
Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot addressed whether Watson’s story with the franchise turned him into a villain internally, considering that his record-setting deal was followed by an 11-game suspension from the NFL and a series of injuries.
“#Browns were not overjoyed that (Deshaun) wasn’t around during the tough times of the 3-14 season. That’s all changed now. He’s not as much of a villain amongst his teammates as he is the fan base”
🚨@MaryKayCabot w/ @KenCarman & @SportsBoyTony
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“The Browns were not overjoyed that he wasn’t around during the tough times of the 3-14 season after he re-ruptured the Achilles the first time,” Cabot said. “They were not overjoyed that he wasn’t around very much. Even though he had rehabbed the shoulder in Los Angeles, there was sort of a feeling like, ‘Hey, it would be nice to have you around here.'”
From the organization’s perspective, Watson has been one of the biggest failures in franchise history. His fully guaranteed contract brought enormous expectations that he would be the quarterback to elevate the Browns to a new level. In that process, Baker Mayfield was cast aside, but he has since reestablished himself as a solid quarterback in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
However, among players, Watson is not seen as a villain but rather just another teammate. The locker room accepted him more easily than fans did when the off-field issues emerged, and his commitment behind the scenes helped teammates view him as simply another athlete doing his job.
“Well, that’s all changed now,” Cabot said. “He has been here every day since he had the second surgery, and he has been present in the building. The coaches have raved about what he’s done inside the building in terms of helping other guys and things like that. He’s not as much of a villain, I don’t think, amongst his teammates as he is amongst the fan base.”
Watson is recovering from an Achilles injury, the same one he suffered last season and re-injured during rehab. His participation in 2025 is virtually ruled out, and the starting quarterback competition is now between Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur Sanders.