Por Renan Filho · 2026-10-27**Lead**
In a segment that has ignited debate across the sports media landscape, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith made a case for Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson to be considered for the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award. Speaking on *First Take* on Tuesday, Smith acknowledged the awkwardness of the proposition, calling it an “uncomfortable” conversation, but argued that Watson’s statistical resurgence and physical recovery from a season-ending shoulder injury merit recognition under the award’s criteria. The discussion comes as Watson has led the Browns to a 5-2 record, throwing for 1,850 yards and 14 touchdowns through Week 7 of the 2026 season.
**Context**
The NFL Comeback Player of the Year award has historically honored players who overcome significant adversity—whether from injury, personal hardship, or a dramatic decline in performance. Past winners include Joe Burrow (2024), Geno Smith (2022), and Peyton Manning (2012). The award’s criteria, however, have never been strictly codified, leaving room for interpretation by the 50-member panel of Associated Press voters who decide the winner.
Watson’s case is uniquely polarizing. After sitting out the entire 2021 season amid a trade request from the Houston Texans, Watson was suspended for 11 games in 2022 following more than two dozen civil lawsuits alleging sexual misconduct during massage therapy sessions. He settled 23 of those lawsuits in 2022, and two grand juries in Texas declined to bring criminal charges. Watson returned to play in 2023 but struggled, throwing for 1,115 yards, 7 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions in six starts before suffering a fractured glenoid in his throwing shoulder, ending his season.
In 2026, Watson has posted a 102.3 passer rating, his highest since 2020, and has shown improved mobility, scrambling for 210 yards and 3 rushing touchdowns. Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski has praised Watson’s work ethic and leadership, telling reporters last week that “Deshaun has put in the work to get back to an elite level.”
**Analise**
Smith’s argument rests on a factual reading of the award’s history: Watson has indeed returned from a severe injury and a two-year layoff to perform at a Pro Bowl level. “If we’re talking strictly about football, about coming back from injury and playing at a high level, Deshaun Watson fits the bill,” Smith said on the program. “But I’d be lying if I said it doesn’t make me uncomfortable given everything that happened.”
This tension reflects a broader debate within the NFL about how to weigh off-field conduct against on-field merit. The league’s personal conduct policy has been applied inconsistently, and the Comeback Player award has no formal exclusion clause for players with disciplinary histories. In 2023, the award went to Joe Flacco, who returned from a midseason signing to lead the Browns to the playoffs—a purely football-based narrative. In 2024, it went to Damar Hamlin, whose comeback from cardiac arrest transcended sport entirely.
Watson’s potential candidacy forces voters to decide whether “comeback” can be purely statistical or must include a moral dimension. Some voters have already signaled reluctance. One anonymous AP voter told *The Athletic* that they would “have a hard time voting for Watson under any circumstances.” Others, however, have noted that the award has never been a character referendum.
**Fontes**
- Stephen A. Smith’s comments on *First Take*, ESPN, October 27, 2026. - NFL Comeback Player of the Year award history, Associated Press. - Deshaun Watson’s 2026 statistics, NFL.com. - Kevin Stefanski press conference, Cleveland Browns media relations, October 25, 2026. - Anonymous AP voter comments, *The Athletic*, October 2026.