After missing all of the 2021 season and 11 games last season, the leading question regarding Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson has been whether he can return to performing the same way he did while leading the league in passing yards in 2020.
On Wednesday, Watson fielded a question in that direction and answered it by saying that he feels he will be an even better player than he was in his last full NFL season.
“I’m not the same guy,” Watson said, via Jake Trotter of ESPN.com. “I feel like I’ve improved. I’ve evolved to a new level. And I’m ready to be able to show that.”
The rust acquired during Watson’s long absence from the field was apparent in his six appearances last season, but the Browns are banking on the work from last year and this offseason coming together to lift Watson back to his previous form. The results of that bet will do much to determine how the 2023 season plays out in Cleveland.