Deshaun Watson ruptures Achilles again, could miss 2025 season after new surgery

Cleveland Browns QB Deshaun Watson ruptured his Achilles once again and had another surgery to repair it this week.

The re-rupture comes less than three months after the original tear, and now Watson could miss the entire 2025 NFL season.

“It is new information just learned in the past couple hours, so I don’t have everything yet,” Browns general manager Andrew Berry said. “I don’t want to rule out anything with a major injury. We are still collecting all the information, and obviously our focus is making sure that he can get as healthy as possible.”

Watson has played in just 19 of a possible 51 regular-season games since Cleveland acquired the former Houston QB in 2022 for a slew of draft picks and handed the 29-year-old signal-caller a five-year, fully guaranteed $230 million contract. He was suspended 11 games in 2022 for violating the league’s personal conduct policy following allegations he committed sexual misconduct during massage therapy sessions. After returning post-suspension, Watson has finished each of the past two seasons on IR with arm/shoulder and Achilles injuries.

If he misses all of 2025, he’ll have played in just 19 games over five seasons (85 potential regular-season games), since Watson sat out the entirety of the 2021 season with the Texans.

The Browns (3-14) have the second overall pick in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft, behind the Tennessee Titans (3-14).

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