Cleveland Browns fans didn’t have much to celebrate last season, as the team finished last in the AFC North with a 3-14 regular-season record. However, the offseason has brought some moments of joy in Cleveland. Things are starting to change for the franchise, quite literally.
One Browns star, however, continues to take heat amid these changes, facing growing criticism even as the franchise secures $600 million for a new stadium.
Cleveland Browns Secure $600M for Stadium While QB Deshaun Watson Comes Under Fire
The Browns currently host their games at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland, Ohio, but the franchise will soon have a new home field. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has granted $600 million from the state’s unclaimed property fund to build a new stadium. As per Daryl Ruiter of 92.3 The Fan, DeWine signed the latest budget on Monday.
The Browns have managed only a quarter of the estimated $2.4 billion cost of building the stadium. The development over the next one and a half decades is expected to pay off the money in tax revenue. Per the Cuyahoga County Fiscal Office, Primacy Development LLC, an affiliate of Haslam Sports Group, also bought 176 acres of land for $76 million last week.
Thrilled to move forward on a transformative project with generational impact pic.twitter.com/gym7FVv2o2
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) July 1, 2025
The Browns entered the 2024 season with high hopes for quarterback Deshaun Watson after making him the highest-paid quarterback in the league. However, he not only looked to be the worst quarterback in the entire league but also suffered a season-ending injury, which jeopardized his participation in the 2025 season.
NFL analyst Mike Florio took a dig at the Browns quarterback, saying, “Hopefully, they’ll get a better return on that than they have on the $230 million that will go to Deshaun Watson.”
Watson initially suffered a ruptured Achilles in Week 7 against the Cincinnati Bengals and then tore it again in under three months, casting doubt on his participation in the 2025 season. However, he has been attending the offseason programs but has kept a low profile physically.
Watson has become a guiding figure for the Browns’ four-way quarterback competition, which features Flacco, Pickett, Gabriel and Sanders. He’s been particularly invested in developing the two rookies and has discussed the offensive schemes with them.
After making one of the worst trades in NFL history for Watson, the three-time Pro Bowler certainly hasn’t paid off as the franchise hoped, following the blockbuster deal, Watson served an 11-game suspension in 2022 stemming from sexual harassment allegations.
In 2023 and 2024, he played fewer than half the games each season due to season-ending injuries. With two torn Achilles tendons on his record, most assumed Watson’s time in Cleveland, and possibly the NFL, was over.
It’s worth noting that the Browns would have very likely cut Watson had it not been for the staggering $80 million in dead money. Even with a post-June 1 designation in 2026, Cleveland will still have $34.7 million in dead money, making it difficult to move on from the veteran.