The Cleveland Browns took a massive gamble on Deshaun Watson. Now, two years into his fully guaranteed $230 million contract, NFL executives are quietly asking: Did Cleveland already see the last snap he’ll ever play?
The franchise hasn’t provided any update on Watson’s recovery from shoulder surgery. And with uncertainty mounting, so is speculation. Behind closed doors, some in the league are starting to wonder if Watson’s playing days are behind him — despite what’s left on his historic deal.
Cleveland Browns Took ‘Big Swing-and-Miss’ With Deshaun Watson
The Browns have been snakebitten at quarterback for decades. Since returning to the NFL in 1999, they’ve cycled through 40 different starters — names like Tim Couch, Brady Quinn, Johnny Manziel, and Brandon Weeden haunt the fanbase. Injuries, busts, and constant coaching changes have kept the position in turmoil.
Even when they thought they found “the guy,” something always unraveled. Baker Mayfield gave a glimmer of hope, flamed out, and has since found success with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Now, the Watson gamble looks like another chapter in a cursed QB saga. No franchise has had worse long-term luck under center than the Browns.
“We took a big swing-and-miss with Deshaun,” Browns owner Jimmy Haslam told reporters at the NFL owners meetings on April 1. “We thought we had the quarterback; we didn’t. And we gave up a lot of draft picks to get him, so we’ve got to dig ourselves out of that hole.”
That quote didn’t go unnoticed around the league. Haslam’s bluntness raised eyebrows — and reinforced the idea that Watson’s future in Cleveland, and maybe the NFL, is hanging by a thread.
Haslam’s comments marked the first time anyone in the Browns organization publicly admitted the Watson trade hasn’t worked out. Three years after sending three first-round picks to Houston and handing Watson a record-setting five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed deal, Cleveland is now looking for his replacement — possibly in this month’s NFL Draft.
The team is weighing whether to select one of the top quarterbacks in the class. If they get it right, it could help them move on from the Watson gamble — something the organization hasn’t been able to do for decades. If not, it’s back to the same quarterback carousel that’s haunted them.
Browns Left Waiting, Wondering
Cleveland insists it’s too early to establish a return timeline, offering little public optimism.
“The contract’s the contract, and I would just restate what we said earlier: We need to see what Deshaun’s health situation is before we make a decision,” Haslam said.
“I think [doctors are] confident that he can [return from injury],” Haslam said, “but you got to do it, you know what I mean?”
That’s the thing — Watson hasn’t done it. Between the off-field controversy, limited on-field success, and now injury setbacks, some league insiders are starting to wonder: Has Watson quietly played his final down?
A foot and ankle specialist who has worked with NFL teams told ESPN that a typical recovery for a quarterback with a ruptured Achilles is around nine to ten months. However, since Watson tore the same Achilles again, it’s expected to impact the quarterback’s rehab significantly.
“Anytime you have [to] go back in somewhere, it changes the ball game a little bit … typically that means slower recovery in the beginning and a longer overall recovery, and the clock starts back over,” the specialist told ESPN. “So, now you’re looking at closer to 10 months to a year. I mean, it’s nine months again, if you’re lucky.”
The specialist believes there’s a minimal chance Watson will take the field next season.
“I would say there’s… a likelihood that he doesn’t play [in 2025] than he does from a medical standpoint. That’s not including what the team might want to do with him in terms of whether they would risk him playing if they’re going to move on from him.
“The question becomes, is he going to be ready if you really are eight games into the season, and then at that point, is it worth it?”