Deshaun Watson’s time with the Cleveland Browns has been ‘a big swing and miss’ and has left the organization in a ‘hole’ according to a scathing review from team owner Jimmy Haslam.
The Browns traded for Watson from the Houston Texans in March 2022, sending three first-round picks across 2022-2024, a 2023 third-rounder and fourth-round picks from 2022 and 2024 for the quarterback.
Furthermore, the Browns signed Watson to a fully-guaranteed $230m deal, at a time when he faced 22 lawsuits from women accusing him of sexual misconduct. He has settled with many but was suspended by the NFL for the first 11 games of the 2022 season and fined $5million for violating the league´s personal conduct policy.
‘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,’ Haslam said.
‘So 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.’
Things haven’t been much better since his suspension disrupted his 2022 campaign.
Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam has spoken of his regret at the Deshaun Watson trade
Watson has been a disaster since the Browns signed him to a fully-guaranteed $230m deal
Watson’s 2023 season was ended by a shoulder injury and in 2024 he tore his Achilles midway through the campaign.
To compound matters, Watson re-tore the same Achilles earlier this year and will miss at least some of the 2025 season. Overall, Watson has played in only 19 games since the Browns acquired him.
The Browns hold the second pick of the 2025 NFL Draft and many think they will go for a quarterback, despite trading for Kenny Pickett from the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Browns recently hosted Colorado´s Shedeur Sanders and Miami´s Cam Ward, who many expect to be taken first by Tennessee Titans.
‘The draft is huge for us,’ Haslam said. ‘It would be great if we could get ‘the quarterback,’ but we’re not going to force it. We’re going to be patient and we’re going to try to accumulate as many really good football players as we can.’
Earlier in March, Watson announced that he was engaged to his girlfriend Jilly Anais.
Watson and Anais have been dating since 2019, after first meeting in Los Angeles. They are both 29. Anais – who has nearly 2.5 million followers on social media – is a singer, actress and cookbook author.
The couple stayed together amid accusations in 2021 and ’22 by more than two dozen women that Watson sexually assaulted and harassed them during massage therapy sessions in Houston.
Watson tore his Achilles last October and again earlier this year, putting 2025 at risk
Two grand juries declined to indict him and he has settled civil lawsuits in all but one of the cases.
Some good news for the Browns this offseason, however, came in the shape of star defensive end Myles Garrett agreeing a four-year, $40m-a-season Browns extension.
It came after Garrett appeared set on forcing his way out of the organization after the recent struggles.
Haslam was also asked about how he managed to keep hold of his star man, and said: ‘Listen, Myles was frustrated last year, but hell, so are we. We’re all frustrated, OK?
‘And I’m glad he cares enough to be frustrated. We look forward to him being with us for a long time to come.’