Deshaun Watson was an elite quarterback before his 700-day sabbatical. He has to regain that form for the Browns to compete for the playoffs again.
Where does Deshaun Watson rate in our Top 20 quarterback power rankings?
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
The Browns’ Super Bowl hopes the next four years hinge largely on their ability to revive the game of quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Watson’s last complete season in 2020 saw him lead the NFL in passing yards (4,823). He was second in completion percentage (70.2) and passer rating (112.4) and his 33-to-7 touchdown-to-interception ratio was tied for third.
Despite a 4-12 record with the Houston Texans, Watson generally was regarded as a top-fiveish quarterback in his prime, right up there with Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson and Patrick Mahomes.
But that was then.
Watson waited 700 days to play in a game due to a demand to be traded and an NFL suspension for violations of the personal conduct policy. When he finally got back on the field for six games with the Browns last year, Watson understandably was a shadow of his former self on a new team and offense fairly foreign to him.
And in that time a new crop of elite quarterbacks emerged, such as Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, Justin Herbert, Jalen Hurts, even Trevor Lawrence.
So where does Watson rank among NFL QBs right now?
Here are our unscientific Top 20 quarterback power rankings heading into the 2023 season.
1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs: Heroic performances on a bum ankle in his fifth consecutive post-season appearance wrapped up his second Super Bowl championship and Super Bowl MVP award, and verified his second season MVP award.
2. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals: He just missed his second Super Bowl appearance in a row by losing to Mahomes for the first time in four head-to-head meetings.
3. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills: Persevered through a difficult season beset by unique team challenges. Bills would be advised to ease the heavy burden on his shoulders and provide him a good running back and slot receiver.
4. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles: His game expanded measurably, and then he turned in the best performance in a Super Bowl by a losing QB. He has arrived.
5. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens: Missing nine games in December and January the last two years killed his team’s seasons and served to remind everyone how essential he is to its success. His 46-19 (.707) overall record in five years is second to Mahomes’ outrageous 74-19 (.795) since 2018.
6. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers: Yes, he hasn’t won anything in three years. Questionable game coaching comes into play. But you’d have to be blind not to see his immense talent.
7. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers: OK, he may be putting out on No. 17. But you still have to respect his ability to birdie that 18th hole.
8. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars: A 180-degree turnaround in his second season, orchestrated by new coach Doug Pederson, has him back on track to meet lofty expectations after a fabulous college career.
9. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys: He is barely at the top of a crowded bunch in the second tier.
10. Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings: He’s been really consistent in five years in Minnesota. But his big-game and post-season performances drop off considerably.
11. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams: So he has the Super Bowl ring from 2021. But in two years with the Rams, he has 25 interceptions in 26 games. I’m not happy ranking him this high.
12. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions: Was he that bad with the Rams to be tossed away like second-day pizza by Sean McVay? I don’t think so. He has 48 touchdowns v. 15 interceptions and one winning season in two years with the Lions, for crissakes.
13. Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks: His remarkable comeback year might be a fluke. We won’t know until we see him play in 2023.
14. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins: He was doing a fairly good impersonation of Steve Young at his best until concussions ended his season. Unfortunately, his career may be shortened because of repeated injuries.
15. Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns: He might make the biggest jump of any QB in 2023. But losing to Kenny Pickett in the season finale left a bad taste from his six-game comeback stint.
16. Jimmy Garoppolo, free agent: When healthy, he wins. Missing 30 games in five seasons sinks him to middle of the pack.
17. Daniel Jones, New York Giants: He had a nice year in his first season under Brian Daboll, thanks to 708 yards running with the ball. But 15 touchdowns in 16 games is nothing to brag about.
18. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals: I don’t want to totally bury him because he can scare any defense when healthy. I just don’t know whether we’ve seen the best of him already.
19. Derek Carr, free agent: He is to be commended for his durability, and I like a lot about his game, but I can’t get one postseason appearance in nine NFL seasons out of my mind. Maybe he turns into Matthew Stafford with a change of teams.
20. Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans: He’s won 65 percent of his starts with a 100.5 passer rating in four seasons with the Titans.
