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Twenty-twenty-two figures to be a tough year for Deshaun Watson on the field after being highly financially compensated off of it following a trade to the Browns and a $230 million extension from Cleveland shortly after.
While on FS1's "Speak for Yourself," NFL Network analyst Bucky Brooks shared his skepticism about Watson being able to focus on his game this upcoming season considering what he is dealing with in his personal life.
Brooks first focused on Watson's availability, questioning if he'll even be in uniform come September when the Browns begin their quest to return to the postseason after an appearance (and a Wild Card round win) after the 2020 season:
“And then the thing is, in Cleveland, the cloud is over the city because we don't know what's gonna happen to the shot on Watson. We don't know if he's gonna be able to play. I love him as a player, but we don't know if he's available."
Should he return, though, Brooks wonders how he'll be able to overcome the extracurriculars and focus on improving Cleveland's standing in an increasingly-loaded AFC North:
"...Even if he is available, how does he play with the cloud of all that other stuff? See, because the last time we saw him on the field, he didn't have all this stuff hanging over his head. I don't know if he could channel the Mamba mentality and play at a high level while dealing with all of this other stuff.”
A Week 1 Deshaun Watson replacement may already be in place
If Deshaun Watson isn't available to play during the opening weeks of the NFL season due to a league-imposed suspension, the Browns appear to have their contingency plan in place.
As was the plan the day after Watson was originally acquired by Cleveland, the Browns plan on benching Baker Mayfield in favor of Jacoby Brissett, who has formed a relationship with Watson in the locker-room.
Brissett is 14-23 in his career as a starter, having had his best season in 2019 with the Colts. The 2016 third-round NFL Draft pick threw 3x as many TDs as interceptions and led the team to a 7-8 record.
If Brissett is the fill-in option for now, it's good that Watson has taken to him, since it is clear by his organized Bahamas trip that the $230 million dollar man has the most pull in Celveland of any player on the roster.
Poll : Will Deshaun Watson struggle in 2022 if he plays?
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