The reason behind Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson’s setback in his Achilles recovery has come to light.

On Friday, the Browns confirmed that Watson has once again ruptured his right Achilles tendon. This announcement followed a statement made by Browns general manager Andrew Berry earlier in the week, indicating that Watson’s recovery timeline had been extended.

As per the team’s announcement, Watson underwent surgery on Thursday to fix the new damage to the tendon.

At 29 years old, Watson first injured his Achilles tendon on October 20 during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals. He had surgery to repair it five days later.

Now, only a few months post the first surgery, Watson has suffered another rupture and had to go through yet another operation on Thursday.

His status for the upcoming 2025 season is still uncertain. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, doctors have suggested a recovery period of seven months after this latest surgery, potentially allowing him to return around the midpoint of the next season.

Deshaun Watson’s Contract Overview

In March 2022, the Houston Texans traded Watson to the Browns giving away three first-round picks, a third-round pick, and two fourth-round picks. On the same day, the Browns signed him to a five-year, fully guaranteed contract extension, which keeps him in Cleveland until the end of the 2026 season.

Here are the complete details of his contract:

• Duration: 5 years
• Overall value: $230 million
• Average annual value (AAV): $46 million
• Guaranteed amount: $230 million

As reported by Spotrac, Watson is set to receive $46 million in base salary next season, along with nearly $9 million from a prorated signing bonus and around $18 million as part of a prorated restructure. Overall, Spotrac estimates his cap hit for 2025 to be roughly $72.94 million.

Jason Fitzgerald, the founder of OverTheCap.com, noted that after Berry’s initial announcement, the Browns have secured insurance on $44.3 million of Watson’s 2025 salary due to injury. If Watson is unable to play in 2025, Cleveland would receive significant compensation.

Deshaun Watson’s Performance Stats

Here’s a summary of Watson’s performance over the three years since he joined the Browns:

• Games Played: 19
• Completion Rate: 341 completions out of 557 attempts (61.2%)
• Total Passing Yards: 3,365
• Average Yards Per Attempt: 6.0
• Touchdowns: 19 (Touchdown Percentage: 3.4)
• Interceptions: 12 (Interception Percentage: 2.2)
• Passer Rating: 80.7

On average, Watson has played 6.33 games per season since he joined the Browns. His current completion rate, yards per attempt, and passer rating, along with touchdown and interception percentages, are all lower than his statistics during his four seasons with the Texans.