CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Deshaun Watson is officially a Cleveland Brown, and the team has braced for the impact of the backlash associated with the controversial move.
After taking Saturday to bring in Jacoby Brissett to back up Watson and clear salary cap space by restructuring Amari Cooper’s contract, the Browns announced the trade with the Texans Sunday morning and issued the first public comments about bringing in the three-time Pro Bowl quarterback accused by at least 22 women of sexual assault, misconduct or harassment during massage therapy appointments.
“We spent a tremendous amount of time exploring and investigating the opportunity to trade for Deshaun Watson. We are acutely aware and empathetic to the highly personal sentiments expressed about this decision,” Dee and Jimmy Haslam said in a statement released by the team. “Our team's comprehensive evaluation process was of utmost importance due to the sensitive nature of his situation and the complex factors involved. We also understand there are still some legal proceedings that are ongoing and we will respect due process.”
The Haslams along with executive vice president of football operations Andrew Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski flew to Houston Tuesday and met with Watson in an effort to convince him to waive his no-trade clause.
“It was pivotal that we, along with Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski, meet with Deshaun to have a straightforward dialogue, discuss our priorities, and hear directly from him on how he wants to approach his career on and off the field,” The Haslams continued in their statement. “He was humble, sincere, and candid. In our conversations, Deshaun detailed his commitment to leading our team; he understands and embraces the hard work needed to build his name both in the community and on the field.
“Those in-depth conversations, the extensive evaluation process, his dedication to being a great teammate and devotion to helping others within the NFL, within the community, and through his charitable initiatives provided the foundation for us to pursue Deshaun. We are confident in Deshaun and excited about moving forward with him as our quarterback and supporting his genuine and determined efforts.”
The Browns sent Houston their first-round picks in 2022, 2023 and 2024 along with a 2023 third-round selection and 2024 fourth-round pick. Cleveland also receives a 2024 fifth-round selection in return for Watson.
“We look forward to having Deshaun as our starting quarterback,” Berry said in a statement. “We have done extensive investigative, legal and reference work over the past several months to provide us with the appropriate information needed to make an informed decision about pursuing him and moving forward with him as our quarterback. Deshaun has been among the very best at the position and he understands the work needed to re-establish himself on and off the field in Cleveland. We are confident that he will make positive contributions to our team and community as we support his return to football.”
Watson informed the Browns he eliminated them from consideration Thursday morning before having a change of heart a day later. Helping to change Watson’s mind was a new five-year, $230 million, fully guaranteed contract.
Although a grand jury elected not to indict Watson following multiple criminal complaints, Watson is being pursued for damages in civil court. Watson was deposed in two of the cases prior to meeting with the Browns on Tuesday.
Watson also faces a suspension from the NFL under the personal conduct policy should the league determine violations occurred.
“Our organization did a tremendous amount of background on Deshaun. We understand the concerns and questions that exist but are confident in the extensive work Andrew and his staff have done to feel confident about him joining our organization,” Stefanski said in a statement. “It was important for us to meet with Deshaun in person as part of our team's evaluation process, we had a candid conversation regarding his approach to coming into our organization and community. I'm looking forward to the opportunity to coach Deshaun, he is ready to put in the hard work needed to help our team improve and make a positive impact in our community.”
Watson, who led the NFL in passing with 4,823 yards in 2020 and sat out the 2021 season following his trade request, has combined to throw for 14,539 yards with 104 touchdowns and 36 interceptions while adding 1,677 yards and 17 touchdowns rushing over four seasons.
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