Deshaun Watson

Watson was born in Gainesville, Georgia, to Deann Watson and Don Richardson, and was raised alongside four siblings. In 2006, when Watson was 11, former NFL running back Warrick Dunn's charity, Homes for the Holidays, partnered with Habitat for Humanity to provide a new home for Watson's family. In 2017, Watson donated his first NFL game check of approximately $27,000 to stadium cafeteria workers affected by Hurricane Harvey. He established the Deshaun Watson Foundation in 2019 to support education, health, and housing initiatives for youth and underserved communities.

Watson began dating pop singer Jilly Anais in July 2019. The couple became engaged in March 2025 and married in July 2025.

Watson played high school football at Gainesville High School, where he established Georgia state records for total offense, total touchdowns, and career passing yards. He committed to Clemson University and enrolled in January 2014, earning permission from former Clemson quarterback Steve Fuller to wear the retired jersey number 4. After winning the starting quarterback role as a true freshman, Watson threw six touchdown passes against North Carolina in his first collegiate start. Despite injuries that included a bone fracture in his hand and a torn ACL, he guided the Tigers through the remainder of the campaign.

In 2015, Watson directed Clemson to an undefeated regular season, an ACC Championship, and an appearance in the College Football Playoff National Championship game against Alabama. He became the first player in FBS history to pass for over 4,000 yards and rush for over 1,000 yards in a single season, finishing third in Heisman Trophy voting while winning the Davey O'Brien Award and ACC Player of the Year honors.

During the 2016 season, Watson finished second in Heisman Trophy voting and secured a second consecutive Davey O'Brien Award as well as the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. He led Clemson back to the national title game in a rematch against Alabama, completing 36 of 56 passes for 420 yards and three touchdowns. Watson threw the game-winning touchdown pass to Hunter Renfrow with one second remaining to secure a 35-31 victory, earning Offensive MVP honors and Clemson's first national championship in over three decades. He graduated with a degree in communications before declaring for the NFL draft.

The Houston Texans selected Watson with the 12th overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft after trading up with the Cleveland Browns. Watson made his first regular season start on his 22nd birthday and quickly tied the NFL rookie record for touchdown passes in a single game with five against the Tennessee Titans. He earned AFC Offensive Player of the Month and NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month honors in October 2017 after throwing 16 touchdown passes, but his debut season ended prematurely after seven games due to a torn ACL suffered during practice.

Returning in 2018, Watson started all 16 regular season games, passed for 4,165 yards and 26 touchdowns, and led Houston to an 11-5 record and the AFC South division title, earning his first Pro Bowl selection. In 2019, he led the Texans to another division title and earned a second Pro Bowl nod, orchestrating an overtime comeback victory against the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card round. In 2020, Watson signed a four-year contract extension and posted a career-best season, leading the NFL with 4,823 passing yards and throwing 33 touchdowns against seven interceptions. Following disagreements with the Texans' front office, Watson requested a trade after the 2020 season and sat out the entire 2021 campaign.

Beginning in March 2021, more than two dozen female massage therapists filed civil lawsuits against Watson alleging sexual harassment and sexual assault during private appointments. Watson denied any wrongdoing, stating that any sexual encounters were consensual. In March 2022, a Texas grand jury declined to indict Watson on criminal charges related to the allegations, and Watson subsequently reached settlements resolving 20 of the pending civil lawsuits, with all but one resolved by August 2022.

In August 2022, following an investigation by the NFL and disciplinary proceedings overseen by independent arbiter Sue Lewis Robinson, the league and the NFL Players Association reached a settlement resulting in an 11-game suspension for Watson, a mandatory evaluation and treatment program, and a $5 million fine.

In March 2022, the Houston Texans traded Watson to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for a package that included three first-round draft selections. Watson signed a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract upon joining Cleveland. He was activated following his suspension in late November 2022 and started the final six games of the season, finishing with a 3-3 record.

Watson's subsequent campaigns in Cleveland were hindered by severe injuries. In November 2023, he suffered a displaced glenoid fracture in his throwing shoulder that required season-ending surgery after six starts. In October 2024, Watson tore his right Achilles tendon in a matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals, which ended his season. In January 2025, he underwent a second surgical procedure after suffering a re-rupture of the same tendon, causing him to miss the entire 2025 season. After completing his rehabilitation, Watson competed with Shedeur Sanders during the 2026 preseason and was named Cleveland's starting quarterback by head coach Todd Monken.