Why Stephen A. Smith Believes Deshaun Watson And Cleveland Browns Are Writing The NFL's Most Uncomfortable Comeback Story

Stephen A. Smith says it is time to talk about Comeback Player of the Year for the Browns© Image via: X/@AdamSchefter

Nobody picked the Cleveland Browns to lead the AFC North in late October. Nobody expected Deshaun Watson to be the reason, either. Yet here we are. The Browns sit at 5-2, and their quarterback has turned close games into fourth-quarter thrillers. ESPN's Stephen A. Smith saw enough on Tuesday to make a bold call about the NFL awards race. He admitted it felt awkward. He said it anyway. Now fans must decide whether a complicated past can sit beside a real on-field revival. Cleveland travels to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.

Stephen A. Smith Names Deshaun Watson The Comeback Player Of The Year

Stephen A. Smith did not tiptoe around it on First Take. "Deshaun Watson right now is the Comeback Player of the Year. Right now, Comeback Player," he said. Analyst Chris Canty pushed back on the tone. "That's uncomfortable to even say. It's uncomfortable," Canty said. Smith agreed. "Very uncomfortable to say it, but it's true. It's true," he replied.

That discomfort has roots. The NFL suspended Watson for 11 games and fined him $5 million in 2022 after two dozen women accused him of sexual misconduct during massage sessions. Watson has denied wrongdoing. He then ruptured his Achilles twice and missed the entire 2025 season.

So this comeback has two layers. One is physical. The other is reputational. Award voters rarely face a case like it.

Stephen A. Smith calls out Kawhi Leonard "This is the worst superstar in the history of sports." (Via @FirstTake ) https://t.co/ria5Lo4TRb

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Smith leaned on results. "Five wins, first place in the division. All five wins were come-from-behind victories in the fourth quarter, led by him," he said. Then he added, "Considering where he was, how bad he looked on the football field, to what he has looked."

What Deshaun Watson And The Cleveland Browns Must Prove Against The Pittsburgh Steelers

The numbers back part of Smith's pitch. Watson beat the Tennessee Titans 27-24 last Sunday with 308 passing yards and a go-ahead rushing touchdown. He then set up Andre Szmyt's 32-yard field goal as time expired. Strictly speaking, that game was tied when Watson got the ball back with 58 seconds left. The point still stands.

He has now driven Cleveland to a late winning score in all five victories. Only Troy Aikman in 1990 and Matthew Stafford in 2016 matched that in a team's first five wins of a season since the merger.

Still, smart readers should keep one thing in mind. Watson has not reached his old Houston Texans level. Repeated last-minute wins also show how thin the margins are. A comeback story can turn quickly if one drive stalls.

That makes Sunday important. The Browns have never won the AFC North since the division took its current shape in 2002. First-year head coach Todd Monken, whom Smith also praised as a top Coach of the Year candidate, now has a chance to change that history. A win in Pittsburgh would give Watson his strongest argument yet, and it would make the awkward conversation much harder to avoid.