Even though Deshaun Watson may have the inside track to becoming the Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback again, there is still a long, long way to go before he potentially shows up taking the first snap in Week 1. However, that hasn’t stopped the speculation about what a triumphant return it could turn out to be.
Almost every report about Watson since Cleveland’s early preseason practices began has been overwhelmingly positive, so much so that Shedeur Sanders has become something of an afterthought in the QB competition. Watson is said to be fully healthy and confident after a string of serious injuries, and he is performing well in Todd Monken’s offense.
With all of this optimism in mind, insider Tony Grossi said he believes the veteran Browns quarterback could emerge as a major NFL award contender, naming Watson as a potential winner of Comeback Player of the Year.
“I’ll say it again: If Watson leads the Browns to a successful season (over .500), he will be a contender for comeback player of the year. I don’t believe anyone in the league office is rooting against that,” Grossi wrote.
The Associated Press, which hands out the award, clarified its criteria before the 2024 NFL season, saying it should honor a player who has overcome “illness, physical injury or other circumstances that led him to miss playing time the previous season.” Interestingly, that distinction was made after Browns quarterback Joe Flacco won the award for the 2023 season, when he came back only from a career decline.
There may be no other NFL player who fits the updated guidelines more than Watson. The 30-year-old sat out all of last season recovering from a reinjury of an Achilles tear he suffered in October 2024. The season before that, his campaign was ended by a serious shoulder injury that required surgery. So, Watson has played in just seven games since November 2023 because of injury.
Grossi wrote that the league office would not be rooting against Watson winning the award, but they may not be rooting for him, either. He has also sat out an entire season and served a lengthy NFL suspension related to multiple sexual assault allegations, a five-year saga that dates back to his time with the Houston Texans and just recently reached a conclusion.
So, even if Watson is deserving of this award by his play on the field in 2026, giving it to him might send a message different than what’s intended.
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