Despite Long Layoff, Quarterback Coach Says Deshaun Watson is 'Best I've Ever Seen Him'

When Deshaun Watson takes the field for the Cleveland Browns, it'll mark the first time since January 3, 2021, that he's thrown a football in a regular-season game.

The former Clemson star quarterback who was drafted by and played four seasons with the Houston Texans sat out all of the 2021 NFL season as a healthy scratch. Watson was accused of sexual misconduct in 22 lawsuits filed by women who work as massage therapists.

Last week, he was traded from the Texans to the Browns, who are listed on FanDuel Sportsbook at +1800 to win the Super Bowl, for a bevy of draft picks. According to Watson's longtime, personal quarterback coach Quincy Avery, the long layoff hasn't affected Watson as a passer. Avery, who's been working with Watson, spoke to Steve Wyche of NFL Network at the Liberty University Pro Day, where Avery was working with client Malik Willis.

"Deshaun is looking the best I've ever seen him and I've been working with Deshaun since he was in 11th grade," Avery said on NFL Total Access. "He's healthy, he's fresh, his arm is live. When he gets to the Cleveland Browns he's going to be one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL."

Following @LibertyFootball QB Malik Willis’s Pro Day, I spoke with his personal QB Coach @QuincyAvery. He took us through Willis’s performance and how another one of his clients, DeShaun Watson, has looked in private workouts @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/kMtI8PHmpL
— Steve Wyche (@wyche89) March 22, 2022

Watson led the NFL in passing with 4,823 yards in 2020, despite the team going 4-12 and firing head coach Bill O'Brien a month into the season. He finished his career in Houston with 14,539 yards, 104 touchdowns and 36 interceptions.

Watson received a reworked, five-year, $230 million contract extension from the Browns last week that's fully guaranteed. However, it's still unknown exactly when he'll suit up for Cleveland.

His civil lawsuits have yet to be settled, and the NFL is still investigating his situation. Many experts and insiders around the league are predicting a multi-game suspension for Watson in 2022.

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