Three years after giving up a king’s ransom to bring quarterback Deshaun Watson to Cleveland, Browns co-owner Jimmy Haslam admitted Monday that it was a mistake.
“We took a big swing and miss with Deshaun,” he said at the league meeting in Palm Beach, Fla. “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. (It) was an entire organization decision and it ends with Dee (Haslam, Jimmy’s wife and franchise co-owner) and I, so hold us accountable.”
The Browns acquired Watson from the Texans in March 2022, despite the quarterback being accused of committing sexual improprieties with multiple massage therapists in the Houston area. Cleveland sent Houston first-round draft picks in 2022, 2023 and 2024, along with a 2023 third-round pick, and fourth-round picks in 2022 and 2024 in exchange for Watson and a 2024 sixth-round pick.
After the trade, the Browns signed Watson, who then had three Pro Bowl selections to his credit, to a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract. He is still owed $92 million.
In return, Watson has compiled a 9-10 record while starting only 19 of 51 possible regular-season games due to injuries and an 11-game suspension related to the sexual assault allegations. In those games, he has completed 61.2 percent of his passes for 3,365 yards, 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
After tearing an Achilles in January for the second time in less than a year, the 29-year-old is expected to miss most or all of the 2025 season.
The Browns finally have a first-round draft pick and own the No. 2 overall selection in the draft, to be held April 24-26 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay.
With only Watson and Kenny Pickett on the roster, the Browns need a long-term solution at quarterback. But Haslam said the Browns won’t draft a quarterback if there isn’t one available whom they believe is the QB1 of the future.
“It would be great if we could get ‘the quarterback,’ but we’re not going to force it,” Haslam said. “We’re going to be patient and we’re going to try to accumulate as many really good football players as we can.”
–Field Level Media
