On Friday, the Browns shared the details of Deshaun Watson’s setback from his Achilles tendon tear, revealing that the quarterback had re-ruptured his connective tissue.
Cleveland provided vague guidance about his potential availability in 2025, suggesting that he would now miss significant time from reinjuring his Achilles.
It’s reignited the discussion about what the Browns will do in the 2025 NFL Draft as Cleveland owns the second overall pick in April.
The debate centers on whether Cleveland should trade their pick to acquire more draft capital, selecting an offensive or defensive lineman later in the top 10.
Analyst Rich Eisen believes the Browns should now move on from Watson and select a quarterback, calling his second injury a game-changer for Cleveland.
“Watson blowing out his Achilles is 100 percent a draft-affecting injury … how do the Browns not take a quarterback?” Eisen asked.
#DawgPound QB Deshaun Watson's set back in his Achilles rehab has been explained — he suffered another tear and could miss the entire 2025 #NFL season putting Cleveland in position to now select a QB 2nd overall in the upcoming #NFLDraft: pic.twitter.com/mQJgFJz6Tv
— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) January 10, 2025
Eisen suggested the only way that Cleveland does not draft a quarterback now is if the Browns believe that neither Cam Ward nor Shedeur Sanders – the perceived top two signal-callers in this year’s draft class – are “not good enough.”
Still, he listed multiple free-agent quarterbacks as potential replacements for Cleveland, noting that those players would be temporary options for the Browns.
Either way, Eisen believes Cleveland should move on from Watson.
“What has happened to this man’s career is absolutely stunning, from off the field to the fact that he cannot stay healthy now on the field. His tenure as a Cleveland Brown is crippling,” Eisen said.
Watson is 9-10 as a starter for the Browns over the past three seasons as he’s failed to play more than seven games in any season since Cleveland acquired him in 2022.
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