In the video, Deshaun Watson acknowledged the skepticism he faces, stating, ‘Everyone’s doubting me.’
BEREA, Ohio — With questions swirling about his future with the Cleveland Browns, Deshaun Watson posted a defiant message on Instagram this week, vowing to return stronger than ever despite growing doubts about his ability.
In the video, Watson acknowledged the skepticism he faces, stating, “Everyone’s doubting me. Everyone don’t believe in me. Everyone don’t think I can get back to where I was. But I know and I believe.”
The Browns’ offseason moves, including the acquisition of quarterback Kenny Pickett via trade from the Philadelphia Eagles and the possible selection of a QB with the team’s No. 2 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, have raised questions about Watson’s future.
Watson is currently rehabbing after tearing his Achilles tendon again in January.
In Wednesday’s video, Watson expressed confidence in his ability to return stronger than before, explaining how his mindset has shifted since his initial struggles.
“I’m prepared,” he said. “And I think before I wasn’t prepared, because I was kinda going with the flow of how the world was seeing me. But when you kinda get knocked down to the ground and you gotta stand back up and walk through the rain, that brings out another fire, another challenge, another grit that you have inside you.”
The full video can be watched HERE.
The video comes less than two weeks after Browns owner Jimmy Haslam called the trade for Watson a “big swing and miss,” further fueling the scrutiny surrounding the quarterback’s performance.
“We took a big swing and miss with Deshaun,” Haslam said at the NFL owners meetings in Palm Beach, Florida, per Mary Kay Cabot of 3News media partner Cleveland.com. “We thought we had the quarterback, we didn’t and we gave up a lot of draft picks to get him. So we’ve got to dig ourselves out of that hole.”
This isn’t the first time Watson has appeared to address the situation following Haslam’s comments.
Last Thursday, he took to Instagram to post photos of himself rehabbing his Achilles, doing so at Browns’ headquarters in Berea while donned in orange and brown gear — including a cap with the club’s helmet logo emblazoned on the front. The 29-year-old also quoted rapper Rod Wave’s song “Shock Da World,” writing “maybe, if I weren’t built for this, I’d let it phase me.”
When the Browns acquired Watson from the Houston Texans more than three years ago, they not only gave up three first-round draft picks, but also paid him a then-league record $230 million in guaranteed money.
In the three seasons since, Watson has only played 19 games for Cleveland, thanks both to a suspension for alleged sexual misconduct followed by injuries to his shoulder and Achilles.
The latter ailment cost him most of 2024, and will now keep him out for a “significant” portion of 2025 after he re-ruptured the ligament.
3News’ Tyler Carey contributed to this report.