The Cleveland Browns offense has limped its way to a 1-2 record this season and quarterback Deshaun Watson’s woes have been a big part of that — but that doesn’t mean he’s willing to change.
Media members asked Watson on Wednesday, September 25, whether he’d be willing to be more active in the run game and/or support more designed runs as part of the offense.
“If I don’t have to run, I’m not going to run. So, I’m not trying to take any hits,” Watson said. “Because I’m not a running quarterback, in a sense. I can make things happen, but I’m not trying to run. I’m not a running back. It’s not my specialty. They signed me to throw the ball, make decisions and be a quarterback, not a runner.”
Deshaun Watson Has Proven Ineffective QB Over 3 Seasons With Browns
Watson hasn’t been much of either a passer or a runner since joining Cleveland in 2o22.
He appeared in just six games in each of his first two years and failed to throw for more than 7 TDs in either campaign. His collective completion percentage across 15 starts (9-6) is less than 58%. Watson has gained 402 rushing yards and scored 3 TDs on 76 carries over his time in Cleveland.
The Browns are 1-2 this year with both losses coming at home. The first was a blowout defeat at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1 followed by a 6-point loss to the New York Giants in Week 3.
Watson has a QBR of 22.5 through three games, which is tied for 30th in the NFL. The team must ready itself for a three-game road trip including stops at the Las Vegas Raiders, Washington Commanders and Philadelphia Eagles in consecutive weeks and figure out how to win with a quarterback who isn’t playing well and doesn’t want to change.
Deshaun Watson Cites Injury Concerns for Aversion to More Running Plays at QB
Reporters pressed the quarterback with follow-up inquiries, asking something of a rhetorical question as to whether Watson using his athleticism as a runner could help the offense succeed.
“I mean, it can. It possibly can, so I won’t say that it won’t help out the offense as far as just the run game,” Watson responded. “But I mean, coming back from an injury I don’t think that is high priority for [head coach] Kevin [Stefanski] to put me in that situation. Because go out there, and in [a] design run and something happens, then it’s like you’re mad at Kevin. So I feel like it’s a lose-lose situation.”
Watson missed 11 games in 2022 due to a league suspension relating to more than two dozen allegations of sexual misconduct. He missed 11 games in 2023, his best year with the team, due to a shoulder injury that ultimately required surgery.
So while it is true that no coach wants to put his starting QB in a position to get injured, it is unclear how much media and fan vitriol would land in Stefanski’s lap if Watson ended up on the bench for whatever reason.
Former No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston and 2023 fifth-round selection Dorian Thompson-Robinson are the second- and third-string quarterbacks, and it is likely that the Browns turn to one of them at some point during the year if Watson’s struggles continue.
