The Browns gave up a lot to trade for quarterback Deshaun Watson and they signed him to a massive contract, but a suspension and shoulder issues have kept them from getting much of a return on that investment.
Watson missed 11 games in 2022 because of the suspension, which stemmed from sexual assault allegations that were made after he requested a trade away from the Texans in 2021. Watson didn’t play at all for the Texans that season and he missed 11 more games last year because of right shoulder injuries.
Watson hasn’t looked like the same quarterback he was earlier in his career when he has been on the field for the Browns, but right guard Wyatt Teller doesn’t think that player is gone for good. In an interview with Tyler Dunne of Go Long, Teller said he’s “seen flashes of absolute greatness” from Watson and invoked the name of the league’s top quarterback while discussing what he thinks Watson remains capable of doing on the field.
“I would love to say he has glimpses of Patty Mahomes,” Teller said. “Patty Mahomes is a once-in-a-lifetime guy. I mean, he’s insane. And he has great outlets, he has great receivers, he has a great defense. He has all these different things around him to make him better. But he is the truth. I believe that Deshaun has that. I truly do. I’ve seen glimpses of it. Putting a whole game together, it’s tough. Putting a whole season together, putting a whole stretch together, it’s fucking hard, man. I couldn’t imagine taking two years off of football and expecting to play at the same level I was playing at, 2020 and 2021. So he’s the helm of my team. I pray that he has an unbelievable season and honestly plays out of his mind — not to win a Super Bowl, but just for himself. I truly believe that he’s a great leader.”
Teller has plenty of company in Cleveland when it comes to praying for Watson to put together the kind of year that shows why the Browns spent so much to make him part of the club in the first place.