Browns LB sends Deshaun Watson warning to NFL

Cleveland Browns linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. previously featured for the Indianapolis Colts and used to see Deshaun Watson twice a season as an opposing quarterback with the Houston Texans. 

Thus, Walker knows what it could mean for defenses around the NFL if Watson is right about being better today than he was when at his best with Houston. 

"That’s scary," Walker remarked on Wednesday, per Scott Petrak of BrownsZone. "That’s scary because, 2020, he almost beat us twice by himself when I was in Indy. So to see him have that confidence that he’ll be even better, it’s huge for us. I expect it. I hope it happens." 

Watson said earlier in the day he feels he has "improved" and "evolved to a new level" after he earned Pro Bowl nods with the Texans each season from 2018 through 2020. The 27-year-old led the NFL for the 2020 regular season with 4,823 passing yards and an average of 8.9 yards per pass attempt but then sat out the subsequent campaign amid his desire to be traded. 

Cleveland acquired Watson from Houston in March 2022 but was without him for the first 11 games of last season as he served a suspension related to allegations of sexual misconduct during massage sessions. Walker suggested the version of Watson who looked rusty across his first six outings with the Browns is now gone. 

"I told him he looks like his old self, the guy that I had to play twice a year in Indy," Walker said about Watson. "Back to just controlling the whole game and not afraid to make a play. That’s huge for us. That’s huge for our offense." 

Watson went 3-3 across six starts last season and completed 99 of 170 pass attempts (58.2%) for 1,102 yards with seven touchdowns and five interceptions. Cleveland wide receiver Amari Cooper noted he believes Watson wants to prove a point now that the signal-caller is no longer rated among the NFL's elite players at the position coming off those six games. Cooper added he "100 percent" thinks Watson is "going to get back" to a top-tier level this season. 

The Browns host the division-rival Cincinnati Bengals for a Week 1 clash this Sunday. As of late Wednesday afternoon, OddsChecker had the Bengals as the favorites (-135, -2.5) to win that game.