The Deshaun Watson trade has gone about as poorly as anyone could have imagined.
Three years into his five-year, $230 million guaranteed contract, he has yet to throw for 300 yards.
He is rehabbing another season-ending injury while the Browns are sitting at 3-13.
The team restructured his contract to soften the blow of his cap hit, and Bruce Drennan strongly believes in the potential repercussions of this trade for the future.
Drennan recently said on an episode of “Bonus Time” that “If it fails, and it appears it’s failing, it’s going to set this franchise back at least five years, and here we are with the reality of that.”
Bruce Drennan reacted to the recent Deshaun Watson reports. #DawgPound
"It appears it's failing… If it fails, it's going to set this franchise back at least five years. Here we are at the reality of that."
presented by https://t.co/WQBzvIwX9Q pic.twitter.com/S7CmzbSrv5
— Bruce Drennan Show (@Bruce_Drennan) January 3, 2025
Five years could be excessive, as we have seen NFL teams turn things around incredibly quickly, oftentimes in just one offseason.
The Washington Commanders are a prime example of how quickly you can turn it around once you find the right quarterback and make a few moves in free agency to make their life easier.
The Browns could lock in a top-3 pick in the 2025 draft with a loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday.
They could have the opportunity to take a quarterback such as Miami’s Cam Ward or Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders.
That being said, this franchise will still be stuck with Watson no matter what for the next two years unless they want to cut him and eat a massive dead cap hit.
There is still hope he can become what he once was, but there is no denying that the first three years of this deal have gone as poorly as anyone could have expected.
NEXT: Analyst Reveals What Browns Should Do With High Draft Pick
