Recent developments in Cleveland’s pursuit of veteran free agent quarterbacks and research into the 2025 rookie draft class’s group of passers seem to indicate that the Browns are perhaps ready to move on from their Deshaun Watson experience. The 29-year-old still has two years remaining on his deal, but it finally appears that the Browns are ready to recognize their mistakes and move forward. According to Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN, Browns co-owner Jimmy Haslam admitted as much at Monday’s annual league meeting. 
“We took a big swing-and-miss with Deshaun,” Haslam told the media. “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.”
Cleveland acquired Watson from the Texans in a trade package that included three first-round picks before signing the young passer to a five-year, $230MM extension, the league’s largest guaranteed contract in NFL history. Despite record-breaking contract after record-breaking contract being signed each year, no deal has come anywhere close to matching Watson’s $230MM in total guaranteed money at signing. Josh Allen‘s recent six-year, $330MM deal came the closest with only $147MM in total guaranteed money at signing.
In the three years since Watson signed that contract, though, he’s done little to earn that money he’s been guaranteed. He started just six games in each of the 2022 and 2023 seasons and seven games this past year. The first shortened season was a result of an 11-game suspension that Watson served as a result of “egregious” and “predatory behavior” that led to several sexual assault allegations. In 2023, Watson missed three games with injury in the first 10 weeks of the season before suffering a broken bone in his throwing shoulder that would end his year.
Last year, we saw Watson suffer a torn Achilles tendon after seven weeks of play. In early-January, Watson suffered a setback in his rehab from the tendon tear that was reported to potentially require a second surgery. Days later, it was disclosed that he had suffered a second Achilles tendon rupture, potentially endangering his availability in 2025.
If the Browns do go after a rookie passer, it could certainly be an indication that Watson’s time in Cleveland has come to an end. The team has worked out multiple restructures with Watson in recent years in attempts to help spread out his cap impact through the 2029 season, but at the moment, he represents cap hits of $36.94MM in 2025 and $81.68MM in 2026. With 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions at the low, low cost of $230MM, it does appear that the Watson-trade has turned out to be a bit of a swing and a miss.
Big of him to admit that the single worst mistake in modern NFL history was a miss.
I’m obviously not a GM or pro player or scout etc but from my untrained eye…seemed like a stupid move just from the initial suspension …BM is probably enjoying it though
BM?
Admitting this mistake is what separates Woody Johnson from Jimmy Haslam.
When Jimmy admits how his harebrained idea likely put the franchise back a decade, then maybe they can starting about a bust in Canton
“… start erecting”
Sheesh. Auto-correct
Many people (rightly) thought that trade was a bad idea because of what a horrible person Watson is.
Many people (rightly) thought that trade was a bad idea because of how much they gave up to get him.
Not enough people priced in how much football he’d missed prior to the trade. Both his body and mind had gotten soft by that point. Players rarely, if ever, take that much time off and come back to play at a high level.
So, the funny/sad/funny part was that they sold both the farm and their souls and it was always likely to fail anyway.
Also, Haslam’s a criminal who should be in prison. Indisputably defrauded thousands but he’s free and running NFL teams into the ground. Quite the system we have here.
Couldn’t have said it better.
Did people say the same about the Dolphins trading for woman beating Tyreek Hill or the Texans signing woman beating Joe Mixon?
I don’t think any team can claim to have a grip on morality these days.
I agree the injury history was a concern but the talent Watson had in his healthy peak in Houston and his young age at the time (he’s still just 29) made him exactly the type of QB you take that chance on. Don’t forget how special he was rightly considered before the injuries.
You take chances, but at what cost? In addition to the record guaranteed contract, those three first round picks could have helped them build a much more formidable team right now.
They didn’t just trade a ton of draft capital for him. They gave him such a wildly unprecedented amount of guaranteed money that the league is only starting to catch up to it with much better players three years later. They even structured it so that all the guaranteed money would come after his suspension, which added to the ick factor.
Mixon’s made mistakes, but he’s not in the same category as those others. But, as Oof said, the trade was only part of the issue. The unprecedented money guaranteed only exacerbated an already dicey proposition.
Watsons injuries are probably the most innocent thing about his saga in this case. Those can’t be avoided in the sport. His attitude about coming back, which seems to be lacking, compounded by his terrible play under center and the litany of legal issues make the money and picks look even worse. It’s not like he’s been great but unavailable; he’s unavailable, bad, and uninspiring off the field, as well.
I’m sorry, what?
He punched a woman in her face, broke bones, and gave her a concussion then claimed she said the N word when really he was harassing her friend for being gay.
He absolutely is in the same category.
She hit him. He hit her back. It’s on camera. Much different than Tyreek Hill or Deshaun Watson.
Since the original comment was deleted, can my below comment be removed? Thanks.
Naaaaaah realllyy
This will be the worst contract in NFL history for a long time.
Hey, give the league more credit. I’m sure that we can see something more notable soon.
from couch to watson .. the browns have made every mistake imaginable
Wait, is this an April Fools?
I cannot imagine being a Browns fan. And that’s coming from a life long Lions fanatic! Ever since the 80s it’s been hell for these people. I mean atleast the Lions had Barry and Calvin. They made the playoffs a few times in those eras. But the Browns fans are so passionate and every year they begin knowing that they don’t have a chance in hell to make a run. Brutal…..
Not saying they have a robust playoff history, but those Browns teams of the mid/late 80’s were often a game away from the AFC championship or the Super Bowl – Bernie Kosar and Schottenheimer had it going for a few years. Each year, they’d get the football pulled away like Charlie Brown trying to kick it with Lucy holding it..
And not saying they would’ve built the Patriots dynasty, but Wild Bill Belichek had them trending upwards until the news of the move to Baltimore in 1995. Instead they were left with no team and watching the squad become world champions as the Ravens and then pay a fortune for an expansion franchise. They haven’t been the same since.
Paying the rapist was a typical browns move.
The big mistake was giving the guy 200 plus million dollars guaranteed when you knew no one in the league wanted him but you, because he can’t stop smacking innocent women in the face with his….
they negotiated with themselves and they lost
“With 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions at the low, low cost of $230MM, it does appear that the Watson-trade has turned out to be a bit of a swing and a miss.”
…juuuuuust a bit outside.