Browns owner admits Deshaun Watson trade was a mistake: Why Jimmy Haslam says deal was ‘big swing and miss’

The 2025 NFL Draft is just a few weeks away, and a team that has to make a big decision about its future at quarterback is the Cleveland Browns. 

As Deshaun Watson rehabs an injury setback after re-tearing his Achilles, the Browns currently don’t have a viable option under center for 2025. Watson, who was signed to a five-year, $230 million contract with the Browns in 2022, after being traded from the Houston Texans, has played in just 19 games over the last three seasons. 

On Monday, Cleveland owner Jimmy Haslam spoke publicly about the Watson trade, and even suggested he has some buyer’s remorse. Let’s take a look at what Haslam said, what Cleveland gave up to land Watson and see what the Browns’ options are at quarterback for 2025. 

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Jimmy Haslam says Deshaun Watson trade was a mistake

As the NFL is having its annual owners meeting in Palm Beach, Fla. this week, Haslam spoke about the Watson trade. In his statements, he admits that the Browns took a big swing, thinking they had their quarterback in Watson. He adds that giving up the draft picks the team did to land him means the team now has to dig itself out of a hole: 

Browns owner Jimmy Haslam on the team’s trade for Deshaun Watson: “We took a big swing and miss with Deshaun. 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…

— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) March 31, 2025

Haslam hasn’t spoken too publicly about Watson’s struggles in recent years, despite admitting that the team will “look at everything,” including the quarterback position in December 2024. 

Although Haslam hasn’t defended Watson directly, he previously emphasized the importance of second chances for Watson. He also called it “the most consequential” decision of his tenure.

Deshaun Watson trade details revisited

In March of 2022, the Texans traded Watson to the Browns for some serious draft capital. Here’s what the Browns gave up to get Watson: 

• 2022 first-round pick (drafted guard Kenyon Green) 
• 2023 first-round pick (drafted DE Will Anderson Jr.)
• 2023 first-round pick: WR Tank Dell  
• 2024 first-round pick: (ended up trading to draft Anderson)
• 2024 fourth-round pick: used it to trade up for USC safety Calen Bullock

At the time of his trade, the quarterback was expected to receive a significant suspension from the league in the midst of numerous sexual assault claims stemming from nearly two dozen massage therapists in the Houston area. He ended up serving an 11-game suspension in 2022.  

Deshaun Watson legal trouble timeline

In March of 2021, Watson was named as the subject of more than 20 civil lawsuits accusing the quarterback of inappropriate conduct and sexual assault allegations, stemming from multiple interactions with massage therapists. Houston attorney Tony Buzbee wrote in one of the lawsuits that Watson’s behavior is part of a “disturbing pattern of preying on vulnerable women,” per ESPN’s Sarah Barshop.

There were three more lawsuits filed against Watson between April 2021 and June of 2022.  

Watson was suspended the entirety of the 2021 season for the Texans. The impending lawsuits against the quarterback prohibited Houston from trading him. He told the team he no longer wished to play for them in January 2021.  

In March 2022, a Harris County (Texas) grand jury declined to indict Watson on criminal charges related to the accusations, opening the door for the Texans to trade Watson to the Browns days later. Fox 8 Cleveland reported a grand jury had convened in a different Texas county to consider charges based on a complaint filed by one of the women involved in the civil cases, but it also did not indict Watson.

In June of 2022, Watson had settled 20 of the 24 lawsuits filed against him, and he eventually settled the 24th one in October of 2024. 

In September of 2024, he was accused of sexual assault in a newly-filed civil lawsuit filed in Houston. The suit accused Watson of sexual assault and battery from an incident stemming from October 2020. He settled the lawsuit in October of 2024. 

During the 2022 season, Watson played in just six games for the Browns.

Deshaun Watson QB depth chart

Earlier this month, the Browns traded Dorian Thompson-Robinson and a 2025 fifth-rounder to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for quarterback Kenny Pickett. Although Cleveland could draft a signal-caller sometime in 2025, the Browns could wait until a better quarterback class comes along as rumors tying them to EDGE Abdul Carter continue to fly around. 

“It would be great if we could get ‘the quarterback,’ but we’re not going to force it,” Haslam said Monday. “We’re going to be patient, and we’re going to try to accumulate as many really good football players as we can.” 

Cleveland has the No. 2 overall pick in the first round for 2025, the No. 33rd in the second round, No. 67 and 94th in the third, No. 104 in the fourth and four sixth-round picks (179, 192, 200, 216), including the No. 255th in the seventh-round. 

Deshaun Watson contract

Upon signing with the Browns, Watson signed a historic five-year, $230 million guaranteed with all of it guaranteed. Although Watson and the Browns agreed in December 2024 on a newly restructured contract that would lessen his contribution towards Cleveland’s salary cap in the later years of the deal, it does not affect his guaranteed money.

At the time, Watson’s deal was the biggest in guaranteed for a franchise quarterback in NFL history. But that’s since been surpassed by Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills, who signed a new $250 million contract earlier this year.  

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Deshaun Watson stats

Watson has been plagued with injuries throughout his NFL career. He missed 10 games last season after tearing his Achilles in October 2024. He missed three games during the 2023 season due to shoulder injuries and another nine games in 2017 after tearing his ACL. He previously tore his other ACL while at Clemson in November of 2014. 

As a result, his NFL career numbers aren’t much to write home about. Even when Watson has been healthy, he has been wildly inconsistent, with the exception being his first couple of years in Houston.