National analysts have spent years criticizing Cleveland’s quarterback, and changing course in public means admitting the story has turned out differently than expected. Few voices are louder than the one that just did it. One of the most famous personalities in sports media is now firmly behind Deshaun Watson’s comeback.
Stephen A. Smith has completely changed his opinion about Deshaun Watson this season.
“Deshaun Watson right now is the Comeback Player of the Year. It’s uncomfortable to say it, but it’s true. When you’re seeing five wins, first place in the division, all five wins were come-from-behind victories in the fourth quarter led by him, considering where he was, how bad he looked on the football field, to what he has looked,” Smith said.
"Deshaun Watson right now is the Comeback Player of the Year."@stephenasmith has this to say about Deshaun Watson 👀 pic.twitter.com/lLSeYyhiRO
— First Take (@FirstTake) October 27, 2026
Watson had not played a regular-season game in about 2 years before this season, after multiple Achilles surgeries kept him out for all of 2025. Fans booed him during the preseason, and many expected Shedeur Sanders to replace him within weeks.
Instead, Watson leads the NFL with 5 game-winning drives and has the Browns alone in 1st place in the AFC North. On Sunday against the Tennessee Titans, he threw for 308 yards, his first 300-yard game as a Brown.
Smith stretched the details a little. Not every win was a true comeback, since the Browns held the lead against the Pittsburgh Steelers until the final 2 minutes. But every one of them needed Watson to deliver a winning drive late in the 4th quarter, and that is the heart of his point.
He is far from alone. Many other analysts have made the case for Watson as a Comeback Player of the Year candidate, as well as Todd Monken for coach of the year.
The rivalry debate on First Take showed the stakes, too. Jeff Saturday picked the Steelers as the best team in the AFC North, while Chris Canty went with the Browns.
That question gets settled Sunday in Pittsburgh. Watson won the first meeting with a late drive, and doing it again on the road against a division rival would make his case for the award even harder to argue with.
NEXT: Cam Heyward Sends A Surprising Message About The Browns
