Quarterback Deshaun Watson, talking with coach Kevin Stefanski at a 2022 minicamp session, has only played in 19 of the Browns' 52 games since being acquired from the Texans in 2022.

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‘We Took A Big Swing and Miss’ – Browns Co-Owner Jimmy Haslam Admits the Deshaun Watson Trade Was a Mistake

A Big Swing and A Miss! - Browns owner Jimmy Haslem on the Deshaun Watson trade

Quarterback Deshaun Watson, talking with coach Kevin Stefanski at a 2022 minicamp session, has only played in 19 of the Browns' 52 games since being acquired from the Texans in 2022.

Cleveland Browns co-owner Jimmy Haslam officially addressed the trade the franchise made back in 2022 to secure quarterback Deshaun Watson from the Houston Texans as “A Big Swing and A Miss”! While this statement is not generating any shockwaves, simply because anyone with relevant knowledge of the game is already aware of the downfall of Watson, it has taken nearly three years for the Browns’ owners to publicly accept their mistake.

Three seasons ago, Watson was still regarded as a good quarterback with the ability to lead a franchise deep into the playoffs. So, going after him when he was still on the incline may have been the correct idea as far as the Browns’ management is concerned. The main issues stem from the fact that they gave up an insane amount of draft capital that decapitated the franchise and set them back when they should have taken strides ahead.

Now, had the trade worked out for the Browns, the picture would have looked quite different. But, the fact of the matter is that it didn’t, and now the owners have come out and addressed what everyone has known for a long time.

Browns owner Jimmy Haslam on the Deshaun Watson deal

“Hold me and Dee accountable”

(via @MaryKayCabot) pic.twitter.com/TeNMX7cpfr
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) March 31, 2025

Jimmy Haslem’s Thoughts on the Deshaun Watson Trade

During the media session at the NFL’s annual spring meetings, Browns’ co-owner Jimmy Haslem admitted the mistake of trading for the former Texans’ signal-caller Deshaun Watson. As per the X post put out by sports writer Mary Kay Cabot, who is the Browns beat writer at http://Cleveland.com, Haslem’s exact words were as follows:

“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. (It) was an entire organization decision and it ends with Dee and I, so hold us accountable.”

#Browns Jimmy Haslam: “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. (It) was an entire organization decision and it ends with Dee and I, so…
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) March 31, 2025

Despite the fact that analysts and fans of the Browns as well as the NFL in totality knew this already, this statement hits differently when it comes straight from the franchise owners.

Also Read: Is Stefon Diggs Signing the Answer to Drake Maye and the New England Patriots’ Offensive Woes?

What Did the Browns Give Up for Watson?

As referenced earlier, this trade struck out the Browns not because of the player they believed in and traded for as much as for the level of compensation they sent the other way. In exchange for Watson, Cleveland sent 3 first-round draft picks in 2022, 2023, and 2024 along with their third-round pick in 2023 and fourth-round picks in 2022 and 2024. That is a boatload of draft capital to give up for one player no matter how deeply you believe in him.

To make matters worse, Cleveland went on to sign Watson to a new five-year deal that paid him a fully guaranteed $230 million. Unfortunately for the Browns, Watson missed the first 11 games of the 2022 season due to a suspension handed out by the league with respect to the sexual harassment allegations against him. Since then, Watson was able to play in only 6 games in 2023 and 7 in 2024 on account of season-ending shoulder and Achilles injuries respectively.

From a possible 52 games since joining the Browns in 2022, Watson has managed to take the field precisely in only 19 games and has a 9-10 record to show for it. If the latest comments by Haslem are anything to go on, it is safe to conclude that Watson’s time as a starting quarterback in Cleveland is up, even though he would remain on the roster as his contract continues to hamper the organization.

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Devavrat Kulkarni

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I am a content writer for the NFL team, and joined The Playoffs after working with Sportskeeda and NFL Analysis as an NFL writer. After starting my professional career as a French-to-English translator, working as a content writer is a new adventure for me. I started out in the sports media field for two main reasons: my love for sports in general, especially the NFL, NBA, and Tennis, as well as my passion for writing. The best part of this job is that I get to write a variety of pieces with the freedom to explore content from various angles. It also enables me to stay up to date with the sporting world, which otherwise can be difficult to do in the day-to-day grind. In a world full of chaos, sports unite and entertain like nothing else!