Report: 1 NFL Team Would’ve Matched Deshaun Watson’s Browns Contract If Given Chance

Deshaun Watson made sure he ended up on the Cleveland Browns. 

According to Jason Lloyd of The Athletic, Watson's camp "never shopped" the five-year, $230 million contract the quarterback ultimately signed with the Browns.

Per that report: "When the stunning announcement was made that Watson was headed to Cleveland and contract details emerged, one team called and asked why it wasn't given an opportunity to match—because, they insisted, they would have. The answer: Watson wanted to go to Cleveland. His only hurdle had been moving to a city where he'd never really been before."

The Browns made their pitch to Watson last Tuesday with four members of the organization: head coach Kevin Stefanski, general manager Andrew Berry and team owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam.

Per Lloyd, they were one of 13 teams to express interest in acquiring Watson, who reviewed those teams—he had a full no-trade clause with the Houston Texans—and narrowed it down to five: Cleveland, the Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers and one AFC South team that Houston refused to negotiate with during the process. 

That team likely was the Indianapolis Colts, given that they traded Carson Wentz to the Washington Commanders this offseason. 

The Browns focused the majority of their pitch on the fact that the team has a young and talented roster. Watson reportedly "thought the Haslams were sharp and invested in the roster" and "was impressed by the fact when he started talking, both Berry and Stefanski were taking notes on what he was saying."

While Watson's acquisition was excellent for the team from a football perspective, it has been controversial.

Watson is being sued by 22 women who have accused him of sexual assault and inappropriate sexual behavior. While a grand jury declined to indict him, meaning he won't face criminal charges for similar accusations, his lawsuit is still pending and the NFL could still suspend him. 

The Browns reportedly said they interviewed three of the female attorneys working under Rusty Hardin, Watson's defense attorney, while they did their own research into the accusations against him. Per Lloyd, those meetings "went a long way toward getting the Haslams comfortable with moving forward and pursuing a trade for Watson."

They did not, however, contact Tony Buzbee, the attorney representing Watson's 22 accusers, "for fear that their interest would become public."

The Browns spoke to Watson for about 30 minutes about the accusation against him, with the rest of the meeting focused on football.