The Cleveland Browns just can’t catch a break. After dropping $230 million on a quarterback who was supposed to turn their fortunes around, the team is facing yet another major setback.
And now, after the latest news surrounding Watson, fans are not holding back, calling it the “worst trade in the history of the sports.” Oof.
Browns’ Massive Gamble on Deshaun Watson Backfires as Injury Threatens Future
The Browns’ $230 million gamble on Watson continues to unravel, and fans are fuming. Watson, who the Browns acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Houston Texans in 2022, has played just 19 games in three seasons, with the fourth year in jeopardy after yet another setback.
The trade cost the Browns multiple high-value draft picks and gave Watson a fully guaranteed five-year contract. With Watson now facing a second Achilles tendon rupture, the Browns’ investment is looking like one of the worst in NFL history.
Fans were quick to react to the disaster.
One summed it up perfectly: “The worst trade in the history of the sport. Browns gonna Brown.”
The worst trade in the history of the sport. Browns gonna Brown
— Terps Recruiting (@TerpRecruiting) January 10, 2025
Another chimed in, “Perhaps the worst in the history of sport. You can eliminate ‘the’,” showing just how bad the optics are.
Perhaps the worst in the history of sport. You can eliminate "the"
— rLalle (@lalle_r) January 10, 2025
Some fans tried to defend the move, pointing out that Watson was considered one of the league’s top quarterbacks at the time.
“In their defense, at the time Watson was that dude man. I still wouldn’t have risked it though 🤣 It’s amazing they’ve been competitive giving up that much too,” one fan remarked.
Others are in disbelief, noting how historically bad the trade was: “Was historically bad and yet somehow this is still worse.”
In a dramatic twist, Watson’s Achilles injury could keep him sidelined for the 2025 season, making his $230 million contract an even bigger financial burden for the Browns.
Watson’s five-year, $230 million contract pays him an average annual value of $46 million per year. While he isn’t the NFL’s highest-paid quarterback, he did have the most guaranteed money of any player in the NFL for a while.
When Watson initially signed the deal, it was $80 million more than the next-highest guaranteed amount in any contract in NFL history. Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott surpassed Watson by receiving $231 million in guaranteed money when he signed his record four-year, $240 million deal prior to the 2024 regular season.
Watson’s Achilles Setback Hits the Team Hard
Watson’s Achilles tendon has betrayed him again, forcing the Browns QB to undergo his second surgery in just three months. After tearing the tendon in Week 7 against the Cincinnati Bengals (Oct. 20), Watson was already out for the remainder of the 2024 season.
Browns GM Andrew Berry gave the latest update, saying, “It is new information just learned in the past couple of hours, so I don’t have everything yet. I don’t want to rule out anything with a major injury. We are still collecting all the information, and obviously, our focus is making sure that he can get as healthy as possible.”
Watson’s stint with Cleveland has been plagued by injuries. Over the last three seasons (from 2022 to 2024), he played in just 19 games. Over that span, he threw for 3,365 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions with a 61.2% completion percentage.
This season, Watson is currently dead last in PFN’s QB+ metric, receiving an F grade. PFN’s QB+ metric assigns a letter grade to every quarterback performance and factors in a number of stats such as success rate when pressured, third-down conversion rate, pocket production, and clutch performance.
Even before getting hurt, Watson was in the bottom five for nearly every metric, including third-down conversion rate, nYPA, passing from a clean pocket, and passing when under pressure.
With a seven-month recovery timeline, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Watson could be back midseason, but let’s be real, the Browns’ $230 million investment is looking shakier than ever.