Late last Saturday night the Cleveland Browns finished their 2024 preseason in Seattle Washington losing to the Seattle Seahawks 37-33. This preseason the Cleveland Browns went 0-3. Many fans, podcasters, and beat reporters have been critical of the Browns for not playing enough starters this preseason and that incudes franchise quarterback Deshaun Watson. Watson has not taken a live NFL game snap since November 12th ,2023, in Baltimore Maryland. Browns fans are concerned that Watson will not be ready on September 8th against the Dallas Cowboys. They are worried that he will have rust to work off again to start the season.

Deshaun Watson was not the only Cleveland Browns star player to not play in the preseason in 2024. Myles Garrett, Amari Cooper, David Njoku, and Juan Thornhill also did not play in this year’s preseason either. And that is just to name a few starting players that didn’t play in the 3 preseason games. But it seems that the most criticism is directed at Watson. We all know that the quarterback is not only the most important position on a football team, but also the most highlighted. The Cleveland Browns are fully aware of this, and they know this is an important season for both Watson and the Browns.

Since Watson joined the Cleveland Browns, both Watson and the team received a great deal of criticism. Some of it was for the off the field issues and the rest was for the fully guaranteed $230 million dollar contact. But the Cleveland Browns pushed on with their plans to contend for a Super Bowl. Watson’s first two seasons with Cleveland were disappointing. Suspensions and injuries had him playing in only twelve games. Last season Browns fans saw glimpses of Watson could be as a franchise quarterback. They saw the team make the NFL playoffs without him. Being healthy and ready to play to start the season is the top priority of the Cleveland Browns and Deshaun Watson. And when the games count is when it matters not when the games don’t count.