Browns Owner Calls Deshaun Watson Trade, Contract 'A Big Swing and Miss'

The Cleveland Browns are finally acknowledging what NFL pundits and fans alike have known for quite some time now—the Deshaun Watson trade and signing was a huge mistake.

"We took a big swing and miss with Deshaun," team owner Jimmy Haslam told reporters on Monday. "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 [Haslam] and I, so hold us accountable."

In March 2022, the Browns pulled the trigger on a massive trade, receiving Watson and a 2024 sixth-rounder from the Houston Texans for three first-round picks (2022-24), a third-rounder in 2023 and a pair of fourth-round selections (2022, 2024).

That alone was a massive investment to make at the position, depleting the team's draft cupboard for several years. But the Browns then signed Watson to a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million deal, which was the largest amount of guaranteed money in NFL history at the time.

The move was controversial due to how much the Browns spent to acquire and extent Watson and because the veteran quarterback also faced 22 lawsuits from women accusing him of sexual misconduct and harassment. Cleveland made the trade after a Texas grand jury declined to pursue criminal charges against Watson, and he has since settled a number of the lawsuits against him.

Despite the circumstances of his acquisition, the expectation was that the three-time Pro Bowler would be a major upgrade at quarterback for the Browns. That hasn't come close to fruition, however.

In 19 starts for the Browns across the past three seasons, the 29-year-old has thrown for only 3,365 yards, 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, completing just 61.2 percent of his passes while taking an extraordinary 70 sacks. The Browns are just 9-10 in his starts.

While a series of injuries haven't helped his cause, Watson hasn't come close to resembling the player who threw for 4,823 yards, 33 touchdowns and seven interceptions in his final season in Houston in 2020. And the Browns are essentially stuck with him for now, as releasing him would leave them with a $172.3 million dead cap charge this offseason.

So Watson figures to be back in Cleveland at least this year and next, likely as a backup quarterback. That won't be a particular issue this season, as he may be rehabbing a ruptured Achilles for much of the 2025 season.

Things may get pretty awkward in Cleveland for his final season under contract in 2026, however, as Watson will essentially be the highest-paid backup quarterback in NFL history.

The question remains who the team will draft to replace him. The Browns acquired Kenny Pickett this offseason in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles either to serve as a bridge quarterback or veteran backup. They could also address the position during the draft either this year or next (or perhaps in both years).

But if it wasn't clear before Monday, it is now: The Browns no longer have trust in Watson as their long-term option at quarterback. That era has officially closed.