The Browns' Deshaun Watson has torn his Achilles tendon

An MRI revealed that Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson has a season-ending tear of his right Achilles tendon, the team announced Monday.

Coach Kevin Stefanski said after his team's 21-14 loss to the Bengals on Sunday that it appeared Watson had suffered a season-ending injury.

Stefanski said Monday that Watson will undergo surgery this week. He didn't know exactly what type of procedure Watson would undergo.

After New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles tendon in the 2023 season opener, he underwent a SpeedBridge repair that allowed him to return to practice 11 weeks later. In the spring, Rodgers was allowed to train without restrictions.

“We feel sorry for Deshaun,” Stefanski said. “In this case, I am sorry to lose him for this season. And as a football team, we also know that we have to improve here. Guys have to improve, and that’s just the way it is.”

Stefanski has not decided on a starting quarterback for next Sunday's game against the Baltimore Ravens. He said he was waiting for more information about the severity of Dorian Thompson-Robinson's finger injury on his throwing hand.

The Browns will add a quarterback this week, but Stefanski wasn't sure whether he would be added to the active roster or practice squad. Cleveland currently does not have a quarterback on its practice squad.

Watson suffered the injury when his leg appeared to hyperextend on a non-contact play while attempting to carry the ball on the first snap after the two-minute warning. Watson immediately gave up and fell to the ground.

Moments later, a cart came onto the field and dragged an emotional Watson away. The entire Browns sideline walked onto the field as he was placed on the cart.

Several players expressed frustration after the game with fans who appeared to be cheering after Watson's injury. Watson was met with boos during his pregame introduction, but they were quickly drowned out by cheers for running back Nick Chubb, who was making his season debut after suffering a serious knee injury last year.

“We don't boo players who are injured on the field, especially when the car comes out,” defensive end Myles Garrett said after the game. “We should be ashamed as Browns and as fans for booing and bringing anyone down.”

Stefanski said: “I don’t think it’s ever OK to cheer when someone is hurt. I’m sure not everyone in the building does this, but this is disappointing.”

The Browns had Jameis Winston out as their third emergency quarterback on Sunday, so Thompson-Robinson came into the game as Watson's replacement and was 11 of 24 passing for 82 yards and two interceptions. However, he suffered a finger injury in the fourth quarter and was replaced by Winston, who completed 5 of 11 passes for 67 yards and a touchdown to David Njoku.

Watson has struggled this season, posting the lowest QBR of any qualified passer. Before the injury, he was 15 of 17 for 128 yards on Sunday.

The injury ends another disappointing season for Watson, his third since the Browns traded three first-round picks and gave him a fully guaranteed $230 million contract to bring him to Cleveland ahead of the 2022 season.

He suffered a displaced fracture of the glenoid in his right shoulder, which caused him to miss the final eight games following season-ending surgery last November.

Watson, 29, has a history of serious leg injuries in college and the NFL. During his time at Clemson, he suffered a torn ACL in his left knee. As a member of the Houston Texans, he tore an ACL in his right knee and missed the final nine games of his rookie year in 2017.

Watson will complete the third year of the five-year contract he signed after being traded from the Texans to the Browns with just 19 total starts. He served an 11-game suspension in 2022 after more than two dozen women accused him of sexual assault and inappropriate behavior during massage sessions.

The Browns still owe Watson $46 million over the next two seasons. He has a salary cap hit of $72.9 million for 2025.