It finally happened. Deshaun Watson will be the next starting quarterback for the ... Cleveland Browns.
Yes, after more than a week of rumblings, meetings and apparently ruling out Cleveland and the Panthers, it's the Browns that will win the Watson sweepstakes, according to a report from Adam Schefter.
The decision appears to fall in contradiction to much of the reporting around the developing situation, with Watson reportedly uninterested in playing in cold weather and appearing to have narrowed his options to the Saints and Falcons. It also goes against reports that Watson would take the weekend to make his decision, as well as reports that he had already settled on Atlanta, his home state.
The compensation in the deal is still unknown, but it is expected to include multiple first- and second-round selections along with young players.
The trade finally brings to an end the drawn-out saga with the Houston Texans and their star quarterback, who long ago requested a trade that didn't materialize as he sat out the entire 2021 season amid a long legal battle stemming from sexual assault allegations.
Watson, with a full no-trade clause in his contract, essentially got to make his pick between multiple teams and had interviewed with the Saints, Panthers, Falcons and Browns throughout the week, all of whom had submitted trade proposals that had supposedly passed muster with the Texans. The Colts had also requested to interview Watson, but that was denied.
The move resets the deck for the Browns, who now have an unquestioned, 26-year-old star under contract at the most important position on the field for multiple seasons. Watson led the NFL in passing yards with 4,823 in the 2020 season on a team that struggled to a 4-12 record. He threw 33 touchdowns against just 7 interceptions, and vaults his new team immediately into the status of title contenders, particularly in an NFC that appears as wide open as it's ever been.
But Watson's arrival does not come without questions on the field and off it. One of those questions is how many games he'll be allowed to play in the 2022 season. While a Texas grand jury's decision not to indict Watson on the host of allegations from massage therapists accusing him of sexual misconduct, he still faces more than a dozen civil suits that are yet to play out, and the NFL has a much lower bar for punishment than the courtroom. Watson could face a suspension from the league if he is deemed to have violated their personal conduct policy, meaning his new team must have a contingency plan at quarterback should a suspension come to pass.
It also sets up a potential for another trade involving Baker Mayfield, who requested a move earlier in the week as his team attempted to court Watson but had it denied.
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His new team must also navigate the PR hurdles that will inevitably come about upon his arrival, though his play on the field will likely go a long way toward changing the narrative surrounding the dynamic passer, as will the tone he strikes upon arrival. It will be on Watson and his new team to build that trust in his new city, along with the team around him in a way the Texans failed to as they fell from a playoff-caliber roster to NFL basement-dwellers in just a few seasons.
The final hurdle will be paying him, with his new team on the hook for the remainder of a 4-year, 156 million contract inked back before the 2020 season.
Check back for updates.
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