Deshaun Watson's comeback is imminent, and it has raised interest among spectators who want to find out how much he wants his old job back. 

Je’Rod Cherry, a three-time Super Bowl champion, certainly wants to find out if Watson can recreate his initial magic. 

“Deshaun Watson has not played football in a very long time. This is a big hope that with him being out, he's observed some things. He's hungry. He wants it,” Cherry said in his appearance on ESPN Cleveland.

The 30-year-old’s stint with the Browns came to an abrupt halt in October 2024 when he ruptured his right Achilles tendon. Moreover, he sat out the 2025 season entirely after injuring the tendon once again.

But Cherry’s belief in Watson’s drive could result from franchise owner Jimmy Haslam’s comments. In March 2025, after the Browns went 5-12, Haslam called Watson a “swing and a miss” trade.

“I think a hungry guy goes out and says, I need to go out there…and prove that I am that guy, Cherry further continued. "Can he recapture that? I don't know, but I'm looking forward to finding out.”

The Browns had signed Watson in a trade with the Houston Texans in 2022. He was brought in for five years with a guaranteed contract worth $230 million. But his performance in Haslam’s franchise did not match his previous ones.

Watson, in 2020, accumulated 4,823 yards from 33 touchdowns and threw just seven interceptions. That is more than all his stats combined in the three seasons he played for the Browns. 

Now, Watson is fighting an uphill battle. Not only is his existing record promising, but he also has to beat last year's rookie quarterback, Shedeur Sanders, to become QB1. But a former Browns QB has some good news for Watson.

Kellen Mond Says No Such Thing As A QB1 Competition

After the 2026 draft, the Cleveland Browns’ quarterback room has become crowded. The decision-makers are sifting to pick a starter, and Kellen Mond, who was with the franchise in 2022, thinks they have made up their minds.

He left his reply to an ESPN Cleveland post that asked spectators who should be the QB1- Watson or Shedeur Sanders. 

“Anyone who’s been in the NFL knows ‘QB1 competition’ isn’t really a thing (very rare),” Mond wrote on May 6. “It’s about choosing the guy who you believe gives you the best chance to win and maximizing his reps. Especially when the (money) plays a factor.”

Watson would be earning a $46 million salary this year and playing in his final season with the Browns. Despite its nature, he has more experience compared to his counterparts.

So all that is left to see is whether Watson makes use of it to come back stronger or not. 

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Written by

Akanksha Biradar

Edited by

Aadesh Dhote