Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski has revealed the turmoil that resulted in Deshaun Watson walking off the field during Sunday's defeat to the Commanders. The Browns' disappointing season persisted as they were dismantled by a Washington team energized by Jayden Daniels.
Stefanski was left shocked by his quarterback's actions when Watson left the huddle and headed to the sidelines in the third quarter. Trailing by 21 points on 4th-and-goal, the coach decided to keep the offense on the field in a last-ditch effort for Cleveland to get back into the game. However, soon, Watson was off the field, and the Browns had to settle for a field goal attempt.
Strange Reason Brown Leaves Huddle
Watson appeared to disregard his coach, who took off his headset in frustration before covering his mouth to talk to his quarterback. Many NFL fans on social media accused the 29-year-old of essentially giving up on his team.
Later, Stefanski clarified that a mistake by the Browns was the reason for Watson's departure from the field.
"We had the wrong amount of people in the huddle, and then at that point, we were just going to kick the field goal," he said.
"Obviously we had penalties and some miscommunications which are completely on me. I'll take responsibility for all of that. That looks like losing football to me, I'll get it fixed."
When it was noted that the Browns had 12 players on the field multiple times, Stefanski admitted, "It is really frustrating, we will get that fixed. Before we beat anybody (else), you have to stop beating yourself... we need to play better as an offense, we need to coach better as an offense.'
In his own postgame press conference, Watson expressed regret over how Cleveland consistently creates its own problems.
"We shoot ourselves in the foot. It is tough," Watson said. "The offense is going to go as far as I go... so, at the end of the day, we're not doing enough offensively. We have got to figure it out quickly."
Regarding the mistake that caused him to leave the field, Watson explained, "There were too many men in the huddle and that was it. We just have got to lock in, that's all I can say right now."
Always Courting Controversy
Watson has frequently made headlines for negative reasons in recent years. The 29-year-old was traded to the Browns in 2022 in exchange for six draft picks, including three first-rounders, despite facing lawsuits from over two dozen female massage therapists for sexual harassment and assault the previous year.
Following the trade, he secured a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract.
Over the last three seasons, Watson has been involved in several legal battles, having previously reached secret settlements with 20 women over sexual misconduct allegations, which led to an 11-game suspension during the 2022 NFL season.
Recently, it was revealed that Watson is facing a new lawsuit, with a woman accusing him of sexually assaulting her in Texas four years ago. She is seeking over $1 million in damages. Watson has "strongly denied" these claims.
Meanwhile, on the field, the Browns have stumbled to a 1-4 record after a rough start to the season. They are set to face the Philadelphia Eagles on the road next week.
After Watson left the field on Sunday, the Browns were hit with a delay of game penalty and had to settle for a field goal, bringing the score to 24-6.
