ROBERT GRIFFIN III DISPUTES WATSON COMEBACK NARRATIVE

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson has helped the team to a 3-1 start this season, following a 27-24 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on 1 October. Watson has thrown for 855 yards with a 69.6% completion rate and six touchdowns across four games, according to the report. His form follows an offseason competition for the starting role against Shedeur Sanders. Former Browns quarterback Robert Griffin III said on The Dan Patrick Show that he does not regard Watson's season as a "comeback story" unless his injuries can be separated from past allegations against him.

Watson has missed games in each of the past three seasons through injury, including a torn Achilles that ruled him out for all of 2025, according to the report. He also served an 11-game suspension in 2022 after the NFL investigated allegations of sexual assault made against him. Griffin was reported separately as calling the comeback framing "doing women everywhere a disservice". The 2026 season is the final year of Watson's contract with the Browns, reported to be worth $230 million. The Browns faced criticism at the time for signing Watson, who arrived in Cleveland as an unpopular figure, according to the report.

Fans booed Watson at Huntington Bank Field during the preseason but gave him a different reception against the Steelers, according to the report. Watson said he made a point of being the last player to walk out of the tunnel for that game. "I think the fans were a big part of that," Monken said, referring to the reception Watson received as he came onto the field. Griffin's comments add a dissenting view to debate over whether Watson's form this season amounts to a redemption story.