Back in March 2022, the Cleveland Browns acquired quarterback Deshaun Watson in a blockbuster trade with the Houston Texans. Watson was expected to help transform the franchise, but the early returns on the deal have not been favorable for the Browns.
James Dator of SB Nation is taking it a step further, calling the Watson trade the worst deal in NFL history.
Watson missed Weeks 4 and 6 (the Browns had a bye in Week 5) due to a shoulder injury, and upon making his return against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, Watson exited the game after taking a big hit. He passed concussion protocol, but head coach Kevin Stefanski held him out for the rest of the afternoon as a precaution.
However, Dator is not buying that Watson should be starting even if he is healthy, citing the fact that the three-time Pro Bowler has thrown for 1,939 yards, 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions while completing just 59.6 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 82.1 over 10 starts dating back to last year.
The Browns not only gave up a wealth of draft picks for Watson, but they also handed him a five-year, $230 million contract with all of the money guaranteed. It was an unprecedented move that we will probably never see in the NFL ever again (or at least not in the near future).
Watson went 1-for-5 with five yards and an interception before leaving the game against the Colts. He was relieved by PJ Walker, who went 15-for-32 with 178 yards and a pick. Obviously, Walker wasn’t great, but he did enough to get the Browns a 39-38 win.
Of course, when he is healthy, Watson is a terrific quarterback, but he has not looked good since 2020.
It may be a bit too soon to call the Deshaun Watson trade the worst ever, but it certainly hasn’t worked out too well for Cleveland thus far.
The Browns are 4-2 and will take on the Seattle Seahawks next weekend.
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