Jimmy Haslam: Deshaun Watson’s Browns tenure has been a ‘big swing and miss’

Jimmy Haslam: Deshaun Watson’s Browns tenure has been a ‘big swing and miss’

Over three years ago, the Cleveland Browns did the unthinkable and acquired quarterback Deshaun Watson from the Houston Texans despite dealing with myriad allegations of sexual misconduct from over two dozen women. They also gave him a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract, arguably one of the worst in the history of American sports.

Watson was suspended 11 games in 2022 and fined $5 million for his actions, and has played a grant total of 19 games since, primarily due to injury.

During the owner’s meeting on Monday, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam admitted the organization messed up with the decision to bring him in.

“We took a big swing and miss with Deshaun,” he said, according to ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi. “We thought we had the quarterback, we didn’t and we gave up a lot of draft picks to get him. 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.”

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

The Browns initially traded three first-round picks plus one second, third and fourth-round pick as part of the deal. That’s six total picks. That’s a lot of draft capital to fork over for a quarterback battling legal trouble, let alone the fully guaranteed contract.

In 19 games, he’s completed just 61.2 percent of his passes for 3,365 yards, 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. The 6-foot-3 signal caller, who tore his achilles for the second time in three months in January, still has two more years with $36.9 and $81.7 million cap hits, respectively.

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At least Haslam held himself accountable, but the writing has been on the wall for years. Better late than never, I guess. I am not sure how or when the Browns will scramble out of this mess, but they made their bed with Watson, so they have to lay in it.

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