LOOK: Deshaun Watson's Instagram story hints at the other team which came close to signing him
Deshaun Watson, after missing the 2021 NFL season due to allegations of sexual assault, has now found a home with the Cleveland Browns.
He was rumored to have had many suitors for his services, including the New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons, and Carolina Panthers. The signal caller now has a five-year, $230 million contract - the most lucrative in NFL history at his position.
Deshaun Watson gets a fully guaranteed 5 year $230M contract. That is $80M more than the previous record for fully guaranteed money at signing ($150M). This deal was negotiated by David Mulugheta of Athletes First. twitter.com/RapSheet/statu…
But a recent Instagram post from the quarterback's IG account appears to show the jersey of an opposing team in the background and it looks like an Atlanta Falcons one.
Is that an @AtlantaFalcons jersey in the background of the @deshaunwatson #Browns IG story shoutout? 😂 https://t.co/7mVZPE5LGk
Could the Falcons have been the team closest to luring away the former signal caller for the Houston Texans? If this is true, it shouldn't come as a total surprise as the former Clemson University standout grew up in Gainesville, Georgia, which is, roughly, 55 miles away from Atlanta.
Watson was also a ballboy for the Falcons for four years. He is on record talking about having been a fan of the franchise growing up.
With his ties to the area, one can only guess how close he came to becoming the heir apparent to former Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan.
How far can Cleveland Browns go with Deshaun Watson at quarterback?
The addition of Deshaun Watson to the quarterback-laden AFC now makes things very intriguing for the Cleveland Browns. The AFC North division witnessed the emergence of the Cincinnati Bengals and their star quarterback Joe Burrow not long ago.
After narrowly losing Super Bowl LVI, the Bengals now expect to be in the mix for the AFC crown each season.
The Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers, who make up the rest of the AFC North division, can never be counted out also. They have Super Bowl-winning head coaches in John Harbaugh and Mike Tomlin, respectively.
Other teams in the conference that are looking to ascend to the top are the Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, and Denver Broncos, to name a few.
The Browns will now look to Deshaun Watson to help them make a deep run in the 2022-23 playoffs. The former Pro Bowl quarterback is an immediate upgrade from Baker Mayfield and should be more than capable of driving the football down the field.
In his last season as a starter with the Houston Texans (2020), with limited offensive help, Watson threw for 4,823 passing yards, 33 touchdowns, and seven interceptions.
The 2020 NFL passing yards leader now has help with a great running game with Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. He also has an offensive line that is more than capable of giving him time in the pocket.
One thing is for certain: the 2022 Cleveland Browns are on the road to consistently contending for the division crown and beyond.