What NFL coaches are saying about Deshaun Watson entering 2022
A lot of issues and concerns still surround Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson. If you were able to place him in a vacuum, though, he remains one of the NFL’s best talents. That sentiment remains even with him missing the entire 2021 season and was proven in ESPN’s article ranking the NFL’s Top 10 2022 Quarterbacks.
Watson landed at ninth on the composite list as Senior NFL Reporter Jeremy Fowler said voters “struggled to rank him for this exercise”. To those around the league, there’s no lack of belief in Watson and the player that he is. It’s just that his behavior off the field has everyone wondering when he’ll be back on one.
“There’s no question about the ability, and I’m assuming he’s stayed in shape. I have little concern that he can come back and be an elite player,” said one NFC scout. “I just don’t know when he’s going to play again.”
Watson led the NFL in passing yards the last full season he played with 4,823 in 2020. He finished third in completion percentage (70.2%) and seventh in touchdowns (33) with just seven interceptions. Watson is also one of the best dual-threats in the league. He finished fifth in rushing yards (444) for QBs with three touchdowns in 2020 as well.
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Even so, some would argue he still has things to prove. He currently has a 28-25 career record in the NFL. During that 2020 season full of top tier stats, he posted his worst record with a 4-12 season. Once he gets back on the field, Watson needs to shed an empty stats identity he may have picked up in his time away.
“All I know is that when he had his best NFL season (in 2020), his team still went 4-12. A good quarterback, but he still has a lot to show on the field,” one NFL front-office official told Fowler.
The four civil lawsuits that remain against Watson will likely hold him out for some portion if not all of the 2022 season. Within that vacuum, though, he still is one of the best players in the entire league. It’s just when he can put all the controversy behind him and how he looks when he returns that’s still up in the air.