MRI confirms Browns QB Deshaun Watson has ruptured his Achilles tendon

Deshaun WatsonThe 2024 campaign is officially over.

An MRI on Monday confirmed Sunday’s speculation that the Cleveland Browns According to multiple reports, the signal caller had ruptured his Achilles tendon.

During the second quarter of the Browns 21–14 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, Watson collapsed to the ground after attempting to take off during a quarterback draw play. Video replay painted the devastating picture that the 28-year-old had suffered an Achilles tendon tear, with his calf muscle rippling as he planted his right foot.

It is the second year in a row that Watson has not been able to finish the season under center due to a season-ending injury.

What’s next for Watson is weighing his options in terms of what procedure he will follow to repair the ailment. According to a report from Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot, Watson will decide between undergoing the traditional surgery, which can take more than six months before a player can resume fielding, and what is known as the “speed bridge” procedure that Jets from New York quarterback Aaron Rodgers endured last season.

The last option was performed on Rodgers by renowned surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache of Los Angeles, who also performed surgery on Watson last fall to repair a fractured glenoid in his throwing shoulder. After rupturing his Achilles tendon in Week 1 last year, just four games into his Jets tenure, Rodgers turned heads when, just 77 days after Dr. ElAttache returned to practice.

The quick return led to much speculation that Rodgers could have played for the Jets had they made the playoffs. Even with the accelerated timeline this procedure provides, it would be very close to the end of the season before Watson could simply return to training.

A recent example of conventional surgery comes out Falcons QB Kirk cousinswho tore his Achilles tendon in Week 8 of last season and was ready to practice in time for training camp this year.

Whichever route he chooses will be aimed at getting Watson rehabilitated so he can return at the start of next season. Even that may be far-fetched at this point, as the situation between the embattled QB, the team and the fanbase seems untenable at this point.

After suffering the injury, some fans could be heard cheering at the sight of Dorian Thompson-Robinson coming in at quarterback. The ill-timed and unfortunate reaction from fans caught the attention of most of the Browns locker room. Starpass rusher Myles Garrettcorner kick Greg Newsome II and backup quarterback James Winston were among those who spoke out assertively to the fans after the match.

In the meantime, the Browns need to move on to a new QB for the remainder of 2024. That could be the fifth round of 2023 Dorian Thompson-Robinsonwho also left Sunday’s game with a hand injury, or veteran James Winston.