Stephen A. Smith Names Deshaun Watson Early Comeback Player Favorite

Overview

• On Tuesday, October 27, Stephen A. Smith told ESPN’s First Take that Deshaun Watson is the NFL’s current frontrunner for Comeback Player of the Year.
• Smith and co‑host Chris Canty both called the praise uncomfortable because nearly two dozen women accused Watson of sexual misconduct in 2022 and the NFL later suspended him for 11 games and fined him $5 million.
• Watson’s late-2026 resurgence has driven the discussion: through seven games he has passed for about 1,482 yards with seven touchdowns and three interceptions and led the Cleveland Browns to a 5-2 record by engineering fourth-quarter game-winning drives in each of their five wins.
• His return follows an October 2024 Achilles rupture and a January 2025 re-rupture that cost him the 2025 season and makes his ability to produce clutch performances a central factor in award talk.
• The exchange on First Take highlights how media and voters may now balance resilience and measurable impact on winning with the ethical and reputational questions raised by Watson’s past, a dynamic that could shape end-of-season honors.