The Houston Texans’ trade sending Deshaun Watson to the Cleveland Browns is already arguably the best deal in franchise history, but what has unfolded after that serves as a constant reminder of that reality.
The latest spotlight on Watson is just another example of that.
Watson is heading into his fifth season with the Browns and is healthy after missing the 2025 campaign, but he still exists under the cloud of what Cleveland has invested in him.
Ex-Texans QB Deshaun Watson on Unfortunate List
GettyThe Houston Texans’ decision to trade Deshaun Watson continues to look better as time passes.
Watson received a five-year, $230 million contract that was fully guaranteed as part of the trade from the Texans to the Browns. The Texans had signed Watson to a four-year, $160 million deal two years prior, underscoring the significance of his historic deal with the Browns.
Watson is in the final year of that contract, but the Browns still face further ramifications from their decision. Watson ranks ninth at his position in cash earnings for 2026.
Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton selected Watson as the “most overpaid” QB.
“In three years with the Browns, Watson has missed 32 games because of a suspension and multiple injuries. Now, he’s not even a surefire starter ahead of training camp,” Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton wrote on July 3, citing a report from The Athletic’s Zac Jackson about Watson being inconsistent in his position battle with second-year pro Shedeur Sanders.
“Among the top-10 highest-paid quarterbacks in cash, Watson could open the 2026 season as a backup behind Sanders, who fell to the fifth round in the 2025 draft. Nonetheless, he’s unlikely to justify his 2026 salary even if he does start this year.”
Watson, who turns 31 in September, is 9-10 as the Browns’ starter. He has completed 61.2% of his passes for 3,365 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.
There have been 42 other QBs with at least as many yards and TDs in that span, per Stathead.
Browns Not Done Dealing With Fallout From Deshaun Watson Trade
GettyThe Cleveland Browns have to navigate several more seasons of fallout from the Deshaun Watson trade.
Moton cited comments from Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, both about the trade with the Texans and their decision to extend Watson afterward.
“We took a big swing-and-miss with Deshaun,” Haslam said at the league’s annual meeting in March, per ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi. “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.”
However, Haslam previously said that the deal was in the Browns’ best interest.
That has proven untrue, with the Browns forced to make several adjustments to the deal to clear cap space, despite being tied for the fourth-fewest wins during Watson’s tenure.
Watson has said he has a good relationship with the Haslams. Still, the Browns will continue paying the price for the trade with the Texans for Watson for at least two more seasons beyond his contract. He has cap hits of $36 million and $51.5 million in 2027 and 2028, respectively.
Those are void years on the back of the extension Watson got after his trade from the Texans.
The Browns’ adjustments only kicked the can down the road on the deal Haslam had a reversal of opinion on, which could make sticking with Watson a more prudent choice than it appears.
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