The Cleveland Browns thought they had solved their decades-long starting quarterback problem in 2022 when they traded for Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson .
Little did they know that they were ending up on what is presently considered one of the worst trades in NFL history .
Watson’s tenure with the Browns has been disappointing. He made just 12 starts in his first two seasons while serving a suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy and battling injuries and has been nothing more than a mediocre starter in those contests.
The Browns entered the 2024 season with an 8-4 record in Watson’s starts, but he completed just 59.8 percent of his passes for 2,217 yards, 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions in those contests. That gave him a passer rating of just 81.4 and a below-average QBR of 40.4.
DESHAUN WATSON: Browns’ pressing problem with QB is only growing more glaring
There’s still time for Watson to turn things around, and the Browns are likely married to him because of the fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract they gave him.