Deshaun Watson announces the death of his father just days before the Browns' season opener

When Deshaun Watson faces the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, he will do so with a heavy heart.

The Cleveland Browns quarterback announced the death of his father, Don Richardson, via social media on Friday.

“Rest in peace, Pops,” Watson wrote in an Instagram story.

Watson, 28, reportedly had a separation from his father, telling the Houston Chronicle in 2017 that he had barely seen his father.

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“Maybe five (times), tops,” Watson said.

“My mom was basically my mom and dad, so I didn't really pay much attention to it. My friends had dads. But for me, it was just like, 'Hey, my mom is the one I'm going to rely on and always focus on.'”

Instead of using Richardson as his last name, the quarterback uses his mother's last name.

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It's no secret that Watson is under tremendous pressure this season. After playing at Clemson University, where he led the Tigers to the national championship with a last-minute touchdown against Alabama, he was selected by the Houston Texans with the 12th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.

Watson played three Pro Bowl seasons with the Texans before being traded to the Cleveland Browns. In 2022, Watson was suspended for the first 11 games of his tenure with the Browns after more than two dozen women accused him of sexual misconduct.

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Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson before a game against the Green Bay Packers at Cleveland Browns Stadium. (Ken Blaze/USA Today Sports)

He played the final six games of the 2022 season with the Browns, going 3-3. Watson led the Browns to a 5-1 start in 2023 before being injured in November and undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery.

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