Deshaun Watson will undergo surgery soon to have his ruptured Achilles repaired; it’s just a matter of how and where

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson will undergo surgery soon to repair his ruptured Achilles, a league source told cleveland.com. At this point, it’s not a matter of “if” but when, where and how. Watson ruptured the right Achilles with 1:22 left in Sunday’s 21-14 loss to the Bengals, with the back of his calf reverberating in obvious rupture fashion. He underwent further test Monday morning to determine the extent of the injury and decide on a course of action, but he’ll need the season-ending surgery. Watson, 29, who’s under contract for two more years here at $46 million a year, will be out at about 9-12 months depending on the nature of his surgery. A traditional procedure has seen players getting back into practice within six to eight months. But Aaron Rodgers, 40, returned to practice just 77 days after undergoing an unconventional surgery for his ruptured Achilles last season. Watson is exploring the Rodgers surgery and will likely talk to the Jets quarterback about it. As it was, Watson was still rounding his way back into form after undergoing surgery in November to repair his fractured right throwing shoulder and torn labrum. Signed to a fully-guaranteed $230 million contract in 2022 after the Browns gave the Texans three first-round picks for him, Watson has started only 19 games over the past three season, going 9-10. The Browns must now look for a contingency plans at quarterback in the event they conclude that Watson can no longer be their quarterback of the future. They can draft one, trade for one, or sign one in free agency. They can also try to determine if Dorian Thompson-Robinson can compete for the starting job. The NFL world called for Watson’s benching this season, and some fans cheered while he was down on the field in agony with the injury, his head in his hands and crying. The cheering infuriated Watson’s teammates, including Myles Garrett, who called out fans. This story will be updated.