Getty Deshaun Watson of the Cleveland Browns.
Deshaun Watson has been hard at work preparing for a second season with the Cleveland Browns, which he hopes will be better than his debut year.
Watson showed glimpses of his explosive playmaking ability and elite arm but his play was mostly uneven during his six-game stint last season following an 11-game suspension.
Watson showed some evident rust after 700 days between starts. He played the final six games for the Browns, with the team going 3-3. Watson — who led the league in passing yards in 2020 — showed glimpses of his Pro Bowl form but completed 58.2% of his passes for 1,102 yards and seven touchdowns with five interceptions.
But a determined Watson has been in the lab this offseason, which he shared in an Instagram video.
“Shiii’d .. The Work Gone Come First!” Watson captioned the post, which showed him sporting Browns gear as he tossed passes to receivers Daylen Baldwin and Jaelon Darden, hit the weight room and did some agility work.
The post comes a few days after Browns insider Tony Grossi shared on ESPN Radio that he’s heard Watson is determined to reestablish himself as one of the top passers in the NFL.
“What I’ve been told is he’s just so committed to getting back on his horse and being one of the top QBs in the NFL,” Grossi said.
Browns Confident Deshaun Watson Can Turn it Around
“What I’ve been told is he’s just so committed in getting back on his horse and being one of the top QBs in the NFL” – @TonyGrossi on what’s he’s heard about Deshaun’s Watson off-season training and preparation.
The Browns went all-in on their trade for Watson, giving up a trio of first-round picks and handing the three-time Pro Bowler a fully-guaranteed $230 million deal. While last year didn’t go as planned with the Browns missing the playoffs, head coach Kevin Stefanski is confident heading into a second season with Watson.
“I think confidence for me comes from seeing it, and I’ve seen him do it,” Stefanski said at the NFL Annual Meetings. “I saw him do it in those games last season. I know it wasn’t perfect. I certainly wasn’t perfect. We weren’t perfect around him and as we all know, it’s not a one-man show. It’s a team game and we didn’t have as much team success as we would’ve liked late in the season there.
“But I’ve seen it from Deshaun in games, I’ve seen it from practice, I’ve seen it in his career, so that’s why I’m confident.”
Watson will have some new weapons to work with. The Browns added Elijah Moore to the wide receiver corps via trade and added some veteran speed in Marquise Goodwin.
Nick Chubb Still ‘Major’ Part of Browns Offense
While there are rumors floating around that the Browns will be more pass-heavy next season, Stefanski assured All-Pro back Nick Chubb will still be a key part of the offense.
“Nick’s a major part of our offense, always will be,” Stefanski said. “He was I thought very productive last season and had a good amount of attempts. You’re always trying to get the best version of Nick. So that’s always part of our plan, to make sure he’s fresh for a 17-game season plus. Nick will always be a big part of our offense.”
Chubb is coming off a year where he ran for 1,525 yards and 12 touchdowns.