The Cleveland Browns already had a quarterback at one point in the past. Baker Mayfield didn’t play at the level he’s playing now, but he did lead the team to the playoffs and was their former No. 1 pick.
Even so, it wasn’t usual to see a player of Deshaun Watson’s caliber become available. He was a superstar, at least on paper, and multiple teams were keeping tabs on him.
That’s why, even after the way everything has happened in Cleveland, Bruce Drennan doesn’t blame the organization for doing the trade. In the latest edition of his show, he admitted that he was on board with the move at the time.
“It was worth the gamble, in my opinion. I couldn’t foresee that Watson would be such a bust, but I did throw in a caveat if you recall. I said if this fails, it will set the Browns back five years. And I was proven right because we’re in the midst of that right now,” Drennan said.
"It was worth the gamble. I did throw in a caveat that if it fails, it will set the Browns back five years." #DawgPound
Bruce understands the risk of the Deshaun Watson trade but understands why the Browns took a swing.
Presented by @drinkgaragebeer https://t.co/UsJc4UIb6p pic.twitter.com/NK80NmdCW5
— Bruce Drennan Show (@Bruce_Drennan) November 16, 2025
Watson Move Becomes A Historic Misstep
Of course, from a football perspective, Deshaun Watson was a star. Even with all the time he spent away from the Texans as he looked to force his way out, he was still considered one of the best in the game.
Then again, with all the serious accusations he was facing off the field, there was also a huge case to be made not to pursue him.
Fast forward to today, and that trade is now considered to be either the worst or one of the worst transactions in professional sports history. His fully guaranteed contract also sparked a domino effect in the quarterback market.
Whatever the case, not even the most pessimistic fan ever saw this coming. No one expected him to be as bad on the field as he’s been.
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