CLEVELAND — As Deshaun Watson tucked the ball under his arm and collapsed without being touched, some Browns fans cheered.
For all the wrong reasons.
Cleveland’s polarizing quarterback, who has divided the team’s fan base since his arrival two years ago, suffered an apparent season-ending Achilles tendon injury Sunday in the first half of a 21-14 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
It’s yet another startling twist in Watson’s tenure with the Browns, who believed they were getting a franchise quarterback when they signed him to a fully guaranteed, $230 million contract in 2022.
Now, everything is uncertain, except that the Browns’ next opponent is the Ravens, who will play at Tampa Bay on Monday night before visiting Cleveland next Sunday.
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski, who has stuck with Watson this season despite his uneven play, didn’t officially rule out the QB for the remainder of the season. But all signs point to the 29-year-old missing the rest of the year.
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“That’s what it looks like,” Stefanski said.
Watson’s leg crumpled on a noncontact play as he dropped back to pass with 1:26 left before halftime. As he planted, Watson’s calf appeared to quiver before he gave himself up and dropped to the turf.
The embattled Watson, whose two-plus seasons with Cleveland have been marked by off-field problems, injuries and poor play, covered his head with a towel as he was carted off. While he was down, the Browns and Bengals left their sidelines to surround him and offer support.
Initially, some boos could be heard before fans realized the severity of Watson’s injury.
Browns star defensive end Myles Garrett was disgusted that some fans cheered when Watson went down.
“Whether it’s an opponent that goes down or one of our own, we don’t boo,” Garrett said. “We should be ashamed of ourselves as Browns and as fans to boo anyone and their downfall — could be a season-altering, career-altering injury.
“The man is not perfect. He doesn’t need to be. None of us are expected to be perfect. Can’t judge him for what he does off the field or on the field because I can’t throw stones from my glass house. But we need to do better.”
Watson’s injury came as the Browns welcomed running back Nick Chubb, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 2 last season. Chubb ran for a 1-yard touchdown just after Watson went out.
Chubb received a thunderous ovation when he sprinted from the tunnel during pregame introductions. The roar came seconds after the struggling Watson was booed before Cleveland’s first home game in three weeks.
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