March 18th, 2022, is a day that will stick in the minds of Cleveland Browns fans for a long time. That day, of course, is when Deshaun Watson was traded to the Browns, and it was announced that the team signed him to a fully guaranteed contract.
A fully guaranteed contract of that caliber was unheard of at the time, and with Watson’s off-field history in mind, fans wondered if the team was going to get $230 in value out of Watson. Hindsight is, of course, 20/20, and if the front office knew what was going to happen, they never would have signed him at all, much less for that much money.
Watson hasn’t played a full season with the Browns yet due to injury, and there’s no guarantee that he’ll start any games for them in 2026, given the quarterback competition that’s about to take place. The Browns are still figuring out what to do with him, but, interestingly enough, it was recently revealed by Leonard Fournette and Jarvis Landry that Watson was about to make a move to join a different team before being traded to the Browns.
“You know, I’m thinking about going to Atlanta,” Watson reportedly said.
Deshaun Watson with @God_Son80 and @_fournette on the Falcons… What If? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/PtxaSfT3S3
— 4th and South (@4thAndSouthPod) March 11, 2026
Landry was seemingly ready to jump ship with Watson, and he even mentioned that he had his bags packed, ready to head to Atlanta for meetings and to join the Falcons with his friend.
Falcons fans might feel relieved to hear this news, as they didn’t have to personally go through any Watson drama with their team. This is also potentially frustrating news for Browns fans, as, if it weren’t for his contract, they might have had other opportunities to draft other QBs or pursue different free agents.
The team ultimately made their decision, and now, five seasons later, they’ll have to make another one when it comes to Watson’s short and long-term future with the organization.
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