Stephen A. Smith backed Deshaun Watson for NFL Comeback Player of the Year on ESPN's First Take on Tuesday, October 27, according to Brendon Kleen's Awful Announcing report. His argument puts Cleveland's quarterback in an awards conversation after another late winning drive.
"Deshaun Watson right now is the Comeback Player of the Year," Smith said. He added, "It's uncomfortable to say it, but it's true." Those remarks express Smith's assessment of Watson's season, rather than an official award designation.
Chris Canty responded, "That's uncomfortable to even say it," according to Ahmad Austin Jr.'s October 27 Mediaite report. Austin connected the exchange's discomfort to the sexual misconduct allegations against Watson.
The comeback has a concrete injury backdrop. Watson ruptured his Achilles in Week 7 of 2024, re-ruptured it and underwent surgery in January 2025, according to Kelsey Russo's June 11 team report. Cleveland's August 24 starter announcement confirms he missed the final 10 games of 2024 and the entire 2025 season while recovering.
The performance behind Smith's argument is substantial. Watson completed 25 passes for 308 yards in Cleveland's 27-24 win over Tennessee on October 25, according to Brian D'Aguanno's official Browns breakdown. The victory moved Cleveland to 5-2 and kept it first in the AFC North.
Watson completed all three of his passes on the final possession for 50 yards, helping set up Andre Szmyt's winning 32-yard field goal. D'Aguanno also credited Watson with a game-winning drive in each of Cleveland's first five victories, joining Troy Aikman and Matthew Stafford as the third quarterback since the 1970 merger to do that.
For the Browns, the strongest part of Watson's case is how those possessions have affected results. Producing with a game available to win gives Cleveland something useful to build around. An award argument becomes more persuasive when the quarterback's contribution can be traced to decisive plays.
"I think our players have a belief in each other," Todd Monken said in D'Aguanno's October 26 News & Notes report. Monken also praised Watson for battling through difficult stretches and giving the team a chance to win, while crediting the offense and timely defensive stops. His assessment gives Watson credit while recognizing that closing a game depends on help from the rest of the roster.
The same report identifies the problem that should command attention this week: Cleveland has been outscored in the first quarter in six of seven games. Monken pointed to coaching, game planning, communication and execution as areas that need improvement.
That makes the opening possessions a useful test of progress. Watson and the offense should aim to sustain drives early, give the defense room to work and reduce the number of games that require a rescue. Keeping the late composure while improving the start would make Cleveland's offense more dependable. The first few series should show whether those corrections are taking hold.
The next opportunity comes against Pittsburgh on Sunday, November 1, as Cleveland's October 26 report confirms. A divisional matchup gives the Browns an immediate chance to turn Monken's concerns into visible improvement.
Smith has supplied the national talking point. Watson's next task is to strengthen the football case with a more complete afternoon, starting before the fourth quarter. For Cleveland, a cleaner path to another win would matter more than winning the week's award debate.
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