NFL Rumors: Browns Admit That Deshaun Watson Trade Was A Mistake

The Deshaun Watson contract might go down as the worst in NFL history. And during the 2025 owners meetings in Palm Beach, Florida this week, the Cleveland Browns admitted that bringing the embattled quarterback on board at such a high price tag was indeed a mistake.

Browns Admit Mistake With Deshaun Watson At NFL Owners Meetings

Watson was a budding star during the early years of his career. After being drafted by the Houston Texans, he was named to three straight Pro Bowl appearances, and even led the league in passing yards in 2020. It looked like he was on the road to stardom and becoming one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL, given his career accomplishments by the age of 25.

But sexual assault allegations derailed all of that. Watson sat out the entirety of the 2021 campaign while the Texans contemplated their future with the player, and they eventually found a trade partner after months of rumors.

It was the Browns who stepped up. In addition to an asset haul that included three first round draft picks, Cleveland forked over $230 million guaranteed, giving Watson the largest guaranteed deal in the history of the NFL.

Browns owner Jimmy Haslam acknowledges Cleveland’s mistake acquiring and paying up for Deshaun Watson. pic.twitter.com/G8IXAYh4co

— The Athletic NFL (@TheAthleticNFL) March 31, 2025

Things couldn’t have gone much worse. Watson was suspended for the first 11 games of the 2022 season, his first with Cleveland, and was rusty when he finally did make his debut. The team went 3-3 in his six starts to close out the campaign, and he posted the worst completion percentage of his career at 58.2%. Things were somewhat better the following season, as the Browns posted a 5-1 record in the 6 games that he appeared in in 2023, but Watson’s campaign was cut short after an injury required shoulder surgery.

In 2024, Watson played in 7 games before tearing his Achilles. During those games, the Browns went 1-6 and had the worst offense in the NFL. Two and a half months after the initial injury, he re-tore that same Achilles, which would count him out for essentially the entirety of the upcoming 2025 season.

On Monday, Browns owner Jimmy Haslem spoke about the situation as a whole. “We took a big swing and miss with Deshaun,” Haslem stated. “It ends with Dee and I, so hold us accountable.”

While Watson’s massive contract will still be on Cleveland’s books for the upcoming season, they’ll put the situation behind them and move on with other players at the quarterback position. The only other player on the depth chart at the moment is Kenny Pickett, meaning that the Browns will have to rely on either the draft or trades in order to fill the hole.

They currently hold the rights to the second overall pick, though the Class of 2025 isn’t exactly laden with QB talent.