Deshaun Watson announced the death of his father on the eve of the Cleveland Browns’ opening game of the new NFL season.
The Browns superstar quarterback, who was reportedly estranged from his father Don Richardson, took to his Instagram Story on Friday to reveal the tragic news.
“Rest in peace, dad,” she wrote alongside emojis of heartbreak and prayer.
Cleveland will host the Dallas Cowboys in its 2024 season opener on Sunday. It’s unclear if Watson’s devastating news will keep him out of the Week 1 game.
No further information has been released regarding Richardson’s death.
Deshaun Watson announced the death of his father on the eve of the first NFL game in Cleveland
In 2017, Watson opened up about her relationship with her parents, revealing that she rarely saw her father while growing up in Gainesville, Georgia.
The then Texans star told the Houston Chronicle When asked how many times he had seen his father: ‘Maybe five, at most.
‘My mother was basically my mother and father, so I didn’t pay too much attention to her. My friends had fathers.
“But for me, it was like, ‘Hey, my mom is the one I’m going to rely on and always focus on.'”
Given his distant relationship with his father Don, Watson decides to use his mother Deann’s surname.
The 28-year-old is preparing for a pivotal season in Cleveland after suffering a fractured throwing shoulder midway through last season.
The Browns quarterback revealed the tragic news on his Instagram Story on Friday.
Watson, who uses his mother’s surname Deanne (left), was estranged from his father.
The Browns quarterback is preparing for a pivotal season in his eventful NFL career.
Since the 2020 season, he has made just 12 appearances after sitting out 2021 due to disagreements with the Texans’ front office and being suspended for the start of 2022 in Cleveland after being accused by more than two dozen women of sexual misconduct.
Watson led the Browns to a 5-1 start last season before suffering an injury and undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery in November.
As he prepares to return this season, the three-time Pro Bowler recently said when asked if he still considers himself an elite quarterback: “Absolutely. No doubt.”
He added about recovering from shoulder surgery: ‘I challenged myself to get back to this point right now, and I wanted to make all the pitches in the spring. I did that. I was able to make all the pitches that Dr. (Neal) ElAttrache put on the table for me, and I was able to do it before spring started.
“And so coming into the summer and training camp, everything else was just building strength and building that endurance with the shoulder.”