Deshaun Watson’s tenure in Cleveland has been a failure — and even the Browns are admitting it.
“We took a big swing and miss with Deshaun,” Browns owner Jimmy Haslam told reporters Monday at the NFL owners meetings in Florida.
The Browns traded for Watson in March 2022 when he was facing dozens of lawsuits for sexual misconduct, but Cleveland took the chance anyway, acquiring him in a deal with the Texans and then proceeding to pay him more guaranteed money than anyone in NFL history at the time with a five-year, $230 million contract.
“We thought we had the quarterback, we didn’t and we gave up a lot of draft picks to get him,” said Haslam, who has owned the franchise with his wife Dee since 2012. “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.”
Watson has played in just 19 games across three seasons with the Browns, winning nine of them and throwing for 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
Some of his poor play can be attributed to injury troubles, as he battled a torn rotator cuff and has torn his achilles twice since October — costing him the end of the 2024 season and likely the whole 2025 campaign.
The Browns recently acquired former first-round pick Kenny Pickett to bolster their quarterback room and are also in the market of drafting either Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders with the No. 2 pick in the NFL Draft.
It is likely Ward goes No. 1 to the Titans with speculation mounting that the Browns are leaning towards Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter with the second pick.
“It would be great if we could get the quarterback,” Haslam said. “But we’re not going to force it.”