CLEVELAND – Deshaun Watson's third season with the Browns is likely over.
Cleveland's embattled quarterback was carted off with an Achilles tendon injury in the first half of the Browns' 21-14 loss to Cincinnati on Sunday as Joe Burrow got his first road win against the Bengals' in-state AFC North rival.
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Watson's leg crumpled on a non-contact 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.
While he did not confirm Watson's season has ended, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said it appears that way. The team was still awaiting further test results.
“Really, really disappointing,” Stefanski said.
The embattled Watson, whose tenure with Cleveland has been marked by off-field problems, injuries and poor play, covered his head with a towel as he was carted off the field. While he was down, players from both teams came off the sidelines to surround him and offer support.
Browns star defensive end Myles Garrett expressed disappointment that some fans cheered when Watson got hurt.
“We should be ashamed of ourselves,” Garrett said. “No one deserves that.”
Burrow threw two touchdown passes in the third quarter as the Bengals (3-4) ended a six-game losing streak at Cleveland. While he has played well against every team in the NFL, Burrow had struggled against the Browns, coming in 1-5 overall and 0-3 on the road.
Burrow connected with Ja’Marr Chase for an 18-yard TD and Tee Higgins for a 25-yard score six minutes later. He completed 15 of 25 passes for 181 yards.
Watson signed a fully guaranteed $230 million contract in 2022 after the Browns (1-6) traded three first-round draft picks to Houston for him.
He was suspended for the first 11 games in '22 for violating the league's personal conduct policy after two dozen women accused him of sexual assault during massage therapy sessions.
Watson made six starts and showed flashes of his Pro Bowl days with the Texans last year before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury.
The 29-year-old has played poorly for most of this season, but the Browns have stuck with him.
Before he got hurt, Watson was 15 of 17 for 128 yards. He was replaced by Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who moved ahead of Jameis Winston on the depth chart this week. Thompson-Robinson finished 11 of 24 for 82 yards and two interceptions before leaving with a finger injury.
Winston played the final 3:43 and threw a TD pass to David Njoku and a 2-point conversion.
Charlie Jones returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown for the Bengals (3-4), who have won three of four after a three-game slide to start the season.
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.
Chubb was already one of the Browns' most popular players. He said the support he received from fans during his recovery fueled him, and he thanked Cleveland's fans in an essay in the Players' Tribune this week.
The Bengals were up 7-0 before Burrow even touched the ball.
Jones caught the opening kick at his goal line, found a seam at Cleveland's 25, made a cut to the right and was gone. He nearly got caught at the 10-yard line but kept his feet, stayed in bounds and tumbled into the end zone.
It was only the third kick return of his career. He took punt back 81 yards for a TD last season as a rookie against Baltimore.
Jones’ TD was the longest return this season and the third one since the new kickoff rule was implemented this season.
Injuries
Bengals: S Geno Stone was taken off on a cart with a severe leg injury late in the fourth. Stone was put in an air cast after he was accidentally hit by teammate Vonn Bell. ... LT Orlando Brown Jr. went out in the second quarter with a right knee injury and didn't return.
Up next
Bengals: Host Philadelphia next Sunday.
Browns: Host Baltimore next Sunday.
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