There was a time when Deshaun Watson was one of the best quarterbacks in football, but that seems like a distant memory since he joined the Cleveland Browns.
Of course, Watson spent the first five seasons of his career with the Houston Texans, making three straight Pro Bowls between 2018 and 2020 (he sat out all of 2021) and leading the NFL with 4,823 passing yards in the latter campaign.
Since joining the Browns in 2022, however, Watson has played in a grand total of 12 games and has not looked anything remotely like his old Texans self.
But that doesn't mean the 28-year-old doesn't still have it in him.
While discussing Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott on the 4th and 1 podcast, former NFL MVP Cam Newton said he would take Watson over Prescott, even at this stage.
"No, I would prefer Deshaun over Dak," Newton said as he compared Prescott to other signal-callers around the league.
That's certainly a bold take given that Prescott led the NFL with 36 passing touchdowns and finished second in MVP voting last season, but perhaps Newton feels that Watson can rediscover his glory days in 2024.
If Watson is able to recapture his previous form, then he would absolutely have a case over Prescott, and one can certainly make the argument that he is the superior player.
Right now, however, it's hard to support that reasoning, given that Watson has thrown 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in two seasons with the Browns.
We'll see if Watson—who is coming off of shoulder surgery—can remain healthy and turn back the clock come September. If he is able to do that, then the Watson-Prescott debate can more appropriately be opened for discussion.
