The Deshaun Watson contract is a recurring joke in NFL spaces. A fully guaranteed five-year deal for a quarterback who had nothing to show for it prior to signing with the team already seemed irrational. Then, you add in the fact that Watson was facing suspension and further investigation into multiple reports of sexual assault, and you have what's become the worst trade and contract in NFL history.
The Browns have, since trading for Watson, gone nowhere. The closest they touched postseason success was with Joe Flacco in 2023, and since then, they've floundered between major trade requests from their All Pro pass rusher and not enough cap space to be able to repair their roster beyond just Watson's injuries and incompetence.
That deal, since its inception and go-through, has been one that could be traced back to both general manager Andrew Berry's and head coach Kevin Stefanski's sign off. But, with new reporting from Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson, it's becoming crystal clear who to blame for the deal in the first place.
Browns owner Jimmy Haslam.
Yahoo Sports NFL analyst names Haslam as catalyst for Watson deal
During an appearance with 102.5 FM, a radio station in Nashville, TN, Robinson told the hosts of their early morning sports talk slot that the "quarterback position with the Browns is an ownership decision."
"I say that because the mess that they're in right now with Deshaun Watson was ownership driven. People around the league know it. I feel like I've known it for a while, but I definitely get the sense that across the league, they don't pin that on Berry, Stefanski. They know that when Deshaun Watson became someone who was on their radar, that Haslam basically took the control and I'm going to get this done. That's why the finances happened, was because of Jimmy Haslam."
Read more: Browns confirm fans' worst Deshaun Watson nightmare with latest move
Haslam's meddling is now confirmed to have been why the team went out and got Watson despite his potential disinterest in joining the franchise as their QB1. And, Robinson touches on what this has to do with the team's workout with Cam Ward.
Basically, Haslam's presence there is not nothing - it could very well mean the team is considering pushing all their assets in to acquire him as a means of fixing the problem that Haslam caused.
Ward is a phenomenal prospect. He'd make for an excellent signal caller with Cleveland. But, he's almost guaranteed to land in Tennessee with the Titans because that's just how the draft order has sorted itself. If the Browns traded up to snag him, it'd be a huge sign off on his potential, but also, a means to an end for Haslam as he tries to rectify the mistake that was the Watson trade.