Deshaun Watson left Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski stunned when he defiantly walked off the field during Sunday’s game.
The Browns’ struggles continued when they were dismantled at the hands of the Jayden Daniels-led Washington Commanders.
And three quarters of the way into the humiliation, quarterback Watson seemingly allowed his frustrations to get the better of him.
Down 21 on 4th-and-goal, head coach Stefanski made the call to keep the offense on the field in a desperate attempt for Cleveland to find the end zone and claw its way back into the contest.
However, his hopes of avoiding – or at least lessening – a blowout defeat were quickly dashed by none other than his own quarterback.
Deshaun Watson defiantly walked off the field on a fourth-down play during Sunday’s game
The quarterback stunned head coach Kevin Stefanski, who wanted to go for it on 4th-and-goal
Watson was sacked seven times as Cleveland suffered a 34-13 defeat by the Commanders
Instead of staying out and going for it on the 4th-and-goal attempt, Watson had other ideas.
The controversial signal caller stormed off the field, making for a beeline for the sidelines – much to the dismay of his coach.
TV cameras caught Stefanski shaking his head in furious disbelief as Watson strutted past him, completely ignoring the 42-year-old coach and his call.
The head coach could then be seen exchanging words with the quarterback on the sidelines.
Watson has regularly made headlines for the wrong reasons in recent years.
The 29-year-old was traded to the Browns for six draft picks, including three first rounders, in 2022 – despite being sued by more than two dozen female massage therapists for sexual harassment and sexual assault the year before.
The head coach could be seen exchanging words with the signal caller on the sidelines
Since the trade, he has signed a five-year, $230 million deal, all of which is guaranteed.
Watson has been embroiled in various court cases over the past three seasons, previously reaching confidential settlements with 20 women over sexual misconduct lawsuits that saw him suspended for 11 NFL games during the 2022 season.
Last month, it was revealed that he is being sued for more than $1million by a new woman, who has accused him of sexually assaulting her in Texas four years ago. Watson ‘strongly denies’ the allegations.
On the field, meanwhile, the Browns are now 1-4 after a woeful start to the season. Cleveland will face the Philadelphia Eagles on the road next week.
After Watson left the field on Sunday, the Browns were forced to take a delay penalty and to settle for a field goal, making the score 24-6.
If they had converted the touchdown attempt – as Stefanski wanted – the Browns could have made it a two-score game.
The Cleveland Browns suffered another embarrassment, losing 34-13 to the Commanders
It was not the only time that tempers flared between Stefanski and Watson on Sunday. The quarterback and the coach could be seen yelling at each other several times during the 34-13 loss.
After another dismal afternoon for Cleveland, Stefanski addressed Watson’s future as his starter.
‘We’re not changing quarterbacks, he said. ‘We need to play better. I need to coach better. That’s really what it is.’
Many NFL fans on social media accused Watson of effectively quitting on his team. Others pointed out, however, that there were 12 players in the Browns huddle, insisting the quarterback left the field to avoid a further penalty.
A three-yard touchdown run from Jeremy McNichols, followed by a Austin Seibert field goal saw Washington establish a dominant 34-6 lead at the end of the third.
Some supporters recently called for Watson to be benched amid his sexual assault allegations
Cleveland did eventually managed to find the end zone in the fourth quarter when Watson found Jordan Akins with a ten-yard pass but it came a little too late as the Commanders walked away with the 34-13 win.
Last month, some Browns fans called for Watson to be benched after the sexual assault allegations emerged.
‘Every week for the past 3 years Deshaun Watson has looked like the worst QB in the NFL and there are still people that claim he’s just a little rusty,’ one fan wrote .
‘Legitimately not sure there are 5 starting QBs in the league worse than Deshaun Watson,’ another added .
‘The Browns and Deshaun Watson deal is the worst deal in history and I’m positive it will never be topped,’ said a third.
Watson was traded to the Browns for six draft picks, including three first rounders, in 2022
Former quarterback Warren Moon, meanwhile, claimed Watson’s on-field struggles are linked to his off-field drama.
‘He’s still dealing with a lot of that c**p that he dealt with a couple of years ago with the lawsuits and all that,’ Moon told TMZ. ‘And now, all of the sudden, another lawsuit comes up.
‘It seems like just when he’s starting to maybe get his career back on track from getting over the lawsuits – and then the injuries that he’s had the last couple years -here comes another one.’
Moon added: ‘It seems like every time he goes out on the field he’s playing with a heavy mind and he’s not able to focus on the game.’
