Browns fans react as Deshaun Watson returns to training after season-ending injury: "2024 MVP" "Loser. Play Jameis"

Deshaun Watson has returned to the Browns after injury ended his season prematurely last year and fans are divided on how it will turn out. Since moving to Cleveland, suspensions and injuries have not allowed him to play a full season. Given that he is on a fully-guaranteed contract, he will want to put a stamp on this year and his team will also expect greatness from him.

They have a strong defense led by Myles Garrett and reached the playoffs last season despite Deshaun Watson's injury. Joe Flacco came back into the league with no professional practice leading up to it and led them to the postseason. If he could do so, the Browns would be expecting better from their starting quarterback, on whom they have mortgaged their future despite concerns regarding his off-field problems.

Fans seem to be conflicted, though, if he can reach that level. Some believe that with a clean bill of health, he is set to reach MVP standards. Others think that he will struggle and backup quarterback Jameis Winston is better than him. Many even referenced his recent trip to Saudi Arabia to blast him. They put their viewpoints on X, formerly known as Twitter, and here are some of those reactions.

That theme continued with other reactions on the platform with many convinced he would be successful while others equally adamant that he would fail. Here are some more responses.

"Don’t remind me"

"Until Week 4 at the most, then we got Jameis"

"MVP year coming up."

Browns' Deshaun Watson is running out of time to prove detractors wrong

When the Falcons drafted Michael Penix Jr. despite signing Kirk Cousins to a contract, it proved that the NFL waits for nobody, especially not when they play the most important position on the field. And it applies to Deshaun Watson as well.

In the last three seasons, he has played a total of 12 games. That is less than 25 percent of the total number of matches that took place in the same time. While there might have been many reasons, some of which he may fiercely dispute, that does not lessen the scrutiny on him.

While with the Texans, he threw 33 touchdowns in his final season. Even in his first season, when he played seven games, he accumulated 19 passing touchdowns. In the twelve games he has played for the Browns in two seasons, he has fourteen total touchdowns, divided equally between both. His passer rating was 79.1 in 2022 and 84.3 in 2023. That is lesser than every single season from Houston when he never went below 98.0.

The fear for the Browns is that Deshaun Watson might be regressing. And if they do not see an improvement this season, they might have to cut bait and try something anew. That would be a tragedy for Cleveland fans as they are more used to than most about how a quarterback carousel undermines a franchise's aims.