Star quarterback Deshaun Watson said that he's regained his confidence ahead of his second season with the Cleveland Browns.
"I feel really good," Watson said Wednesday after minicamp, according to ESPN's Jake Trotter. "The biggest thing is the confidence level, knowing who I am, trusting what I do, trusting the work that I put in these past couple years to get back to this position I'm in ... So, I'm enjoying myself. I'm having fun."
He added, "I'm pretty far ahead of where I was last year. I'm getting comfortable with the position I'm in, getting comfortable being here in Cleveland."
Cleveland traded for Watson from the Houston Texans and then signed the three-time Pro Bowler to a massive five-year, $230-million extension that was fully guaranteed.
Watson's debut in a Browns uniform was put on hold after he was suspended for the first 11 games of the 2022 season for violating the league's personal conduct policy following numerous allegations of sexual assault and sexual misconduct.
The 27-year-old appeared to be rusty after the suspension and sitting out the entire 2021 season with the Texans following a trade request. Cleveland went 3-3 with Watson under center and finished last year with a 7-10 record.
Watson passed for 1,102 yards, seven touchdowns, and five interceptions while posting a 79.1 passer rating in six games last season.
Watson noted that his absence from the field contributed to his dwindling confidence prior to his return to action.
"If you stopped doing something for so long, you just naturally lose that confidence because you haven't been playing at that level," Watson said.
Upon his return, the former Clemson product has been working toward building his confidence back up and finally feels that it's in a good place as he goes through his first full offseason in Cleveland.
