Deshaun Watson was once one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL during his time with the Houston Texans. He also became one of the most controversial players in the league towards the end of his time with the franchise, but that didn’t stop the Cleveland Browns from making a blockbuster deal to acquire him.
The move was theoretically supposed to elevate them to the potential status of Super Bowl contenders, but it hasn’t worked out that way at all. It ultimately proved to be a disastrous decision for the franchise’s direction, and they are still reaping the consequences. One of their former executives recently clarified who is to blame for it.
Former Browns Executive Points Fingers for Controversial Deshaun Watson Trade
The Browns made a bold move to send six draft picks to the Texans, including three first-rounders, in exchange for Watson and a sixth-round pick. Even more daring was their decision to reward him with a $230 million, fully guaranteed contract spanning five years, before he ever took a snap in a Browns uniform, and also directly following a full season of sitting out with the Texans.
Paul DePodesta was serving as the chief strategy officer for the Browns at the time of the trade and was reportedly a significant factor in their decision to go through with the risky deal. Since then, he has left the NFL and recently, MLB hired him to become the president of baseball operations for the Colorado Rockies. The Watson trade came up at one of his press conferences, to which he responded.
“I was also calling plays for the Browns,” he joked. “Those are organizational decisions. If you’re a senior leader, then you own that … I lost my ‘no-hitter’ long ago,” said DePodesta.
His saying he was calling plays for the Browns is likely a shot at their coaching staff. He implies that the team was dysfunctional and unproductive during his tenure, which spanned from 2016 to 2022, when Watson was acquired in a controversial trade.
New #Rockies President of Baseball Ops. Paul DePodesta, on his failed Deshaun Watson signing in Cleveland:
“I was also calling plays for the #Browns,” he joked.
“Those are organizational decisions; if you’re a senior leader, then you own that…I lost my ‘no-hitter’ long ago.” pic.twitter.com/RbYEWq2sJW
— Scotty Gange (@Scotty_G6) November 13, 2025
DePodesta’s first two years with the franchise included a 1-31 record with Hue Jackson as their head coach, but Kevin Stefanski was already in the position when the trade occurred.
He somewhat deflected taking the blame for the decision, but also owned that he played a part in it by using a baseball pun to say he isn’t perfect.
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Watson ranked 12th or better among all quarterbacks on PFSN’s Impact Rankings in each of his four seasons with the Texans, so his talent was clear and obvious.
His off-the-field controversies and extended time away from football are what made the trade a gamble, and eventually a losing one. He has appeared in just 19 total games across four seasons with the Browns.
