Even at the height of his NFL career, before he came to the Cleveland Browns in a fateful 2022 trade, back when he was a consistent Pro Bowler for the Texans, Deshaun Watson was not known as a rah-rah type of guy. But he’s no longer the young up-and-comer now, as a 31-year-old in his 10th NFL season. With that in mind, Watson seems to have settled into a new role with the Browns, one that has been critical to the team’s impressive early success at 5-2. According to tight end Harold Fannin, Watson has become the calming voice on the sideline, even as the Browns have undergone some wild fluctuations here in 2026.
Speaking with Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, Fannin pointed out that Watson’s cool head and messages of calm have been invaluable during the stunning five fourth-quarter wins he has helped engineer.
“Obviously, he’s been in the league for a while, just being the vet,” Fannin said. “Even on the sideline, he tells us to keep working with him. And in these close games, you can tell he’s very poised, very experienced. And he just keeps helping us, encouraging us, keeping our confidence up throughout the whole game.”
Deshaun Watson Has Browns Thriving
For the skill position players on the Browns, that has been especially useful.
Consider that the Top 3 rushers for the Browns on Sunday were Quinshon Judkins, Dylan Sampson and KC Concepcion, two second year players and Concepcion, the rookie. Concepcion was also the top receiver, followed by Fannin (second year), Sampson, Denzel Boston (rookie), Jerry Jeudy and Judkins. Jeudy is the only player on the list who was not picked in the 2025 or 2026 NFL drafts.
That’s a lot of inexperience. Yet the Browns have managed to come up with big plays when needed, as with Fannin’s 37-year rumble over the middle that set up the Browns’ game-winning field goal.
They’ve fed off Watson, who threw for 308 yards in Week 7. Said Fannin: “He’s doing a great job, but I kind of expected him to play how he’s been playing. Even like when I first got drafted and I came up here, he’d always been working. He’s always been a hard worker. And you can tell it’s paying off.”
Browns Star Reveals Deshaun Watson In-Game Message