Trading for Deshaun Watson will probably go down as the worst mistake in Cleveland Browns history. Given this team's long and well-documented list of miscues, that speaks volumes about how things have been.
Not only did they single-handedly rebuild the Houston Texans with their draft picks, but Watson's fully guaranteed, $230 million contract has forced the team to deal with major financial constraints.
To add insult to injury, he hasn't played much, and he hasn't been very good when he's been on the field.
That's why this team cannot afford to fall for him again. It doesn't matter how many viral offseason workout clips he shares or how sharp he looks in drills, the Browns need to shut down this dark period of their history.
Cleveland has nothing to gain by playing Deshaun Watson
The Browns faced instant karma with Deshaun Watson. They handled the situation poorly while Baker Mayfield was still there, and Watson arrived in Northeast Ohio after some time on the shelf because of some serious accusations.
He faced a lengthy suspension and was understandably rusty when he was healthy enough to play. He looked slightly better in Year 2 and had one of the best halves of his career before suffering yet another season-ending injury.
Watson then averaged just 164 passing yards per game and went 1-5 as the starter in 2024 before his first of two Achilles ruptures. Things got so bad that plenty of Browns fans literally cheered when he was being carted off the field.
It's hard to believe he'll be any better after yet another serious injury, and even if he is, starting him would be a disservice to this team. There's no way that he's going to re-sign with the Browns after watching the fan base turn its backs on him, and owner Jimmy Haslam go on the record to say that trading for him was a mistake.
The Browns have two second-year quarterbacks to develop, and there's literally no upside in playing Watson. They won't be a Super Bowl contender with him, and they would only help him revive his career after he gave them nothing but trouble.
If he's good, the Browns will probably play themselves out of a position to land a franchise quarterback in the stacked 2027 NFL Draft; and it's not like they'd sign him to an extension. If he's bad, the team would miss out on a chance to see what it has with Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel.
Watson has held this franchise hostage for way too long. There's finally a light at the end of the tunnel, and they cannot afford to look back. There's simply no legitimate reason to even consider giving him a chance to play in 2026.