Browns' Deshaun Watson Fined $35,513 For Unnecessary Roughness vs. Steelers

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson was fined $35,513 by the NFL on Saturday after being called for two unnecessary roughness penalties in Monday night's loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

Watson was penalized twice in the 26-22 loss for facemasks on Steelers defenders.

Watson incurred a $10,927 fine for each instance of unnecessary roughness and was also fined $13,659 for making a "violent gesture" after he and tight end David Njoku pretended to point guns on the field, according to Pro Football Talk's Michael David Smith.

In a game that saw the Browns lose superstar running back Nick Chubb for the remainder of the season due to a knee injury, Watson largely struggled Monday, going 22-of-40 for 235 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

After one of the penalties against Watson, there was a sideline skirmish and Watson appeared to push a referee to the side.

While Watson was not penalized for the incident, there was some speculation that he could be fined or even suspended.

In a statement issued to Pelissero, the NFL said it was determined by the officials that Watson's contact with the referee was incidental: "Officials are called upon to maintain order on the field, and sometimes while performing those duties, there is inadvertent contact between players and officials. In this instance, in their judgment, the contact did not rise to the level of a foul."

Cleveland acquired Watson from the Houston Texans in March 2022 despite the fact that he was facing multiple allegations of sexual misconduct and sexual assault.

Watson was suspended for the first 11 games of the 2022 season before returning to start the Browns' final six games, going 3-3.

With Watson under center this season, Cleveland is 1-1, and Watson has completed just 55.1 percent of his passes for 389 yards, two touchdowns and two picks, while also rushing for 67 yards and one score.

During his time with the Browns, Watson has yet to return to the form he displayed as a three-time Pro Bowler in four seasons with the Texans.

Since Chubb is out for the season, the Browns will need far better play from Watson moving forward if they want to vie for a playoff spot.

Watson and the Browns will look to turn in a better performance Sunday when they host the Tennessee Titans.