Years ago, the Cleveland Browns weren’t satisfied with their quarterback situation.
If that sounds like a familiar situation, it’s because it is.
They weren’t so high on Baker Mayfield anymore, so they rushed to pull the trigger and trade for Deshaun Watson even though Mayfield was still on the team.
Looking back, that will most likely be one of the worst moves in professional sports history.
Watson has been involved in a never-ending controversy for well-documented reasons.
Since arriving in Cleveland, he has been suspended, hurt, or played poorly.
To add insult to injury, his albatross of a contract has only hampered the team’s ability to add more talent around him.
With that in mind, NFL analyst Brad Gagnon had one simple sentence to describe the state of the Browns ahead of the 2025 campaign:
“In cap hell and realistically stuck with Deshaun Watson for at least another year, the Browns are in football prison,” Gagnon said.
Watson recently agreed to restructure his contract to alleviate the cap hit for years to come, but that’s still not enough.
His trade value is virtually nothing, and there’s no reason other than his steep salary for him to be even considered a potential starter for this team going forward.
Most analysts and insiders agree that the Browns will likely look to bring in a veteran to compete with him for the starting job.
Barring a miracle or a major turn of events, this trade will go down in infamy.
NEXT: Former Player Warns Browns About First-Round Pick Next Season
