When Deshaun Watson takes the field Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys, he will do so with a heavy heart.
The Cleveland Browns The quarterback announced on social media Friday that his father, Don Richardson, had died.
“Rest in Peace Pops,” Watson wrote on an Instagram story.
Watson, 28, is said to have been estranged from his father. He told the Houston Chronicle in 2017 that he rarely saw his father.
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“Maybe five (times) at most,” Watson said.
“My mom was basically my mom and dad, so I didn’t pay too much attention to that. My friends had dads. But for me, it was just, ‘Hey, my mom is who I am’ I’m going to rely on and I always will to focus on.’ “
Instead of using Richardson as his last name, the quarterback uses his mother’s last name.
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Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson walks onto the field before a game against the Minnesota Vikings at Cleveland Browns Stadium. (Scott Galvin/USA Today Sports)
It’s no secret that Watson is facing immense pressure this season. After playing at Clemson Universitywhere he led the Tigers to a national championship with a last-minute touchdown over Alabama, he was selected by the Houston Texas with the 12th pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.
Watson had three Pro Bowl seasons with the Texans before being traded to the Cleveland Browns. In 2022, Watson was suspended for the first 11 games of his tenure with the Browns after being accused by more than two dozen women of sexual misconduct.
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Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson before a game against the Green Bay Packers at Cleveland Browns Stadium. (Ken Blaze/USA Today Sports)
He played the final six games of the 2022 season with the brown onesgoes 3-3. Watson led the Browns to a 5-1 start in 2023 before he was injured and underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in November.
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