Deshaun Watson married his girlfriend and multi-hyphen star Jilly Anais as the Cleveland Browns QB faces NFL uncertainty recovering from Achilles Surgery ahead of 2025
Deshaun Watson and Jilly Anais are married
Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson rang in the Fourth of July with a declaration of his own that’s far away from independence. He’s now a married man to his girlfriend Jilly Anais, whom he first started dating in 2019.
The three-time NFL Pro Bowler married Anais after the couple had quietly hinted at an engagement back in the spring. They confirmed their marriage on Thursday through a series of social media posts that immediately saw congratulation posts online.
Anais posted a close-up of her large emerald-cut diamond ring, which appeared to have additional shank stones and dual bands. She also shared an image of matching wedding bands with the Browns quarterback. Another photo showed Watson’s custom suit, which was as detailed as Caleb Williams’s NFL Draft outfit, featuring custom gold embroidery of the couple’s wedding date near his cufflinks. Deshaun also wore a diamond wedding band and displayed a bronze Patek Philippe Nautilus previously worn by Rory McIlroy, a watch valued at over $132,000.
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Anais officially announced the news by changing her Instagram profile name to “Jilly Anais Watson,” sending her 2.4 million followers into celebratory mode.
Celebrity friends like B. Simone, the Cavinder twins, Lolo Wood and Morgan Goodwin (wife of NFL wideout Marquise Goodwin) filled her comments section with love and congratulations.
The couple’s relationship has endured the highs and lows of Watson’s career, including his injury setbacks and ongoing legal scrutiny.
Watson missed the rest of the 2024 season after re-rupturing his right Achilles tendon during a 21-14 loss to the division rival Cincinnati Bengals. He remains uncertain for the entire 2025 NFL season.
With Watson newly married and recovering from surgery, the Browns enter the season with a crammed quarterback room.
Veteran Joe Flacco, ex-Steelers and Eagles QB Kenny Pickett, plus rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders are all in the mix to earn the starting job for next season.
Deshaun Watson poses with Jilly Anais
The Browns organization admitted to “taking a swing and missing” regarding Watson’s health and accomplishments in Cleveland.
“We thought we had the quarterback, we didn’t, and we gave up a lot of draft picks to get him. So we’ve got to dig ourselves out of that hole… (The trade) was an entire organization decision, and it ends with Dee and I, so hold us accountable,” said owner Jimmy Haslem.
The quarterback hasn’t completed a full season since 2020, when he led the NFL with 4,823 passing yards for the Houston Texans.
That season, he also achieved a career-high yards per attempt of 8.9 and was named to his third Pro Bowl.
Currently, the Browns are in training camp preparing for their 2025 season opener against the Bengals on September 7.