‘Hold Us Accountable’: Browns’ Owner Calls Deshaun Watson Trade a ‘Big Swing and a Miss’

Browns Owner Jimmy Haslam called the monumental trade for Deshaun Watson a “big swing and a miss,” and said he and his wife, Browns Co-Owner Dee Haslam, should be held responsible.

In March of 2022, the Browns traded three first-round picks, a third-round pick, and two fourth-round picks to the Houston Texans for Watson. Then the Browns gave Watson the largest guaranteed contract in NFL history. In exchange, the Browns got Watson and a sixth-round pick.

In the three years since the deal was made, Watson has played only 19 games for the Browns and won only a handful. It is widely regarded as the worst personnel move in the NFL’s history.

“We took a big swing and miss with Deshaun,” Haslam told reporters at the league meeting in Florida via Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN. “We thought we had the quarterback, but 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. [The trade] was an entire organization decision and it ends with Dee and I, so hold us accountable.”

Calling the Watson trade fiasco a “big swing and a miss” is in itself a big swing and a miss of an understatement. Though, in fairness, it would be nearly impossible to adequately describe how bad of a deal the Browns made in their acquisition of Watson.

This year marks the first draft in the three years since the deal in which the Texans will not be making a pick they received from the Browns.

And, of course, the Browns still need a franchise QB.

Haslam’s comments reflect where the team currently stands with Watson, who is still on the roster. Due to his Achilles injury toward the end of last year, the chances of Watson playing in 2025 were already slim to none. Given these strong words from Haslam, it’s clear that the Browns’ owner doesn’t foresee Watson playing for him again.

Honestly, after Watson’s debacle in Cleveland and the ever-present reminder that Watson stood accused of nearly two dozen acts of rape and sexual misconduct, it’s unlikely he will play for anyone in the NFL ever again.