Super Bowl 59 is around the corner, but the story dominating the NFL world is Myles Garrett’s trade request from the Cleveland Browns.
The 29-year-old edge rusher is one of the best defensive players in the NFL, having been named to the Pro Bowl six times on top of earning first-team All-Pro nods, and he’s accrued a whopping 102.5 sacks in 117 games. He also led the Browns to their first playoff win this century in 2020 over the division rival Pittsburgh Steelers, as well as a follow-up postseason appearance in 2023.
However, Cleveland is running a pitiful 1-3 playoff record since the turn of the century, and Garrett is clearly fed up with the team’s general ineptitude. It’s hard to blame one person for the failures of an entire franchise, but it’s becoming clearer by the day just how catastrophic one particular trade from 2022 was.

NFL World Blames Deshaun Watson for Myles Garrett’s Trade Request
Deshaun Watson has been nothing short of a disaster since arriving in Cleveland prior to the 2022-23 season.
Last season, the Browns made it to the playoffs despite starting five different quarterbacks throughout the season. By the end of the year, the offense found its rhythm with 2023 NFL Comeback Player of the Year Joe Flacco under center.
In case that doesn’t mean anything, let’s put it like this: the Browns’ offense averaged 28.6 points per game with Flacco leading the way, as opposed to the 21.7 points they averaged in the eleven games before his arrival.
Flacco, a 39-year-old veteran quarterback, would have led the league in passing yards per game (323.2) if he had enough attempts to qualify.
This is not a system issue. Head coach Kevin Stefanski has steered the Browns to two of their three playoff appearances this millennium, winning the Coach of the Year award in both seasons (2020 and 2023).
Stephen A. Smith on Myles Garrett requesting a trade from the Browns: "The person that I blame the most, unfortunately, respectfully, is Deshaun Watson. Had Deshaun Watson gotten to Cleveland and balled the way he showcased how he could ball when he was a Houston Texan, Myles… pic.twitter.com/24Z81koj7n
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 3, 2025
This is, definitively, a Watson issue. He’s never been the same since the suspension and missed time. He hasn’t even looked like a husk of the dynamic, three-time Pro Bowl quarterback that took the league by storm in Houston.
Fans and media personalities were quick to jump on Watson’s case after news of Garrett’s trade broke, all but blaming him for the franchise’s inability to win with the star defender in tow.
“Watson ruining Myles Garrett’s prime years and taking him from this city…it just keeps getting worse,” said one fan.
Watson ruining Myles Garrett’s prime years and taking him from this city… it just keeps getting worse
— Abby Mueller (@abby_mueller_) February 3, 2025
“The Browns are $30M over the cap right now. Trading Myles Garrett sends them to $46M over the cap. If they have to do this and punt off an entire offseason in spending, the Deshaun Watson trade somehow even looks worse,” articulated another user.
The Browns are $30M over the cap right now. Trading Myles Garrett sends them to $46M over the cap. If they have to do this and punt off an entire offseason in spending, the Deshaun Watson trade somehow even looks worse.
— Hayden Winks (@HaydenWinks) February 3, 2025
The cost of the Watson trade is hard to fathom: “The Deshaun Watson trade cost the Browns three first-round picks, Nick Chubb’s prime and Myles Garrett. No other way to spin this.”
The Deshaun Watson trade cost the Browns three first-round picks, Nick Chubb’s prime and Myles Garrett. No other way to spin this.
— Ben Axelrod (@BenAxelrod) February 3, 2025
Another Browns fan had a similar conclusion.
Gave up 3 1st’s, ran Baker out of town, wasted Chubb’s prime and now Myles Garrett is requesting a trade.
It’s not even close anymore, the Deshaun Watson trade is absolutely the worst trade in sports history and it has set the franchise back a substantial amount. https://t.co/gMkgzsVCRY
— CleCrusader (@cle_crusader) February 3, 2025
There are no easy outs from Watson’s contract. The three largest (single-season) dead cap hits in NFL history belong to Russell Wilson ($53M), Matt Ryan ($40.5M), and Aaron Rodgers ($40.3M).
If the Browns release Watson ahead of the 2025 season, his $136,938,000 dead cap hit would be larger than all three of those combined ($133.8 million).
Cleveland has little choice but to keep him, lest they want to plunge into a financial black hole. And yet, it feels like the only way this team gets better is by moving on from him.
He’s already set to cost them one of the best players in franchise history. Allowing him to stick around and do any more damage would be organizational malpractice of the highest order.