The Houston Texans' trade of Deshaun Watson continues to age better and better. While the Texans had some tough seasons after Watson's time as the starting quarterback came to a close, they rebounded quickly after spending the second pick in the 2023 NFL Draft on C.J. Stroud and going on to win the AFC South in each of the next two seasons.
Meanwhile, Watson has started 17 games in three seasons in Cleveland. He just managed to hit a full regular-season worth of work and it took him three years to get there. Even when Watson has been healthy, he's played terribly and the Browns have looked better without him on the field. Case in point: The 2023 season where Joe Flacco helped lead Cleveland to the playoffs.
It took three years for the Browns owner, Jimmy Haslam, to admit that it was a bad move for Cleveland.
“We took a big swing and miss with Deshaun. 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. … (the trade) was an entire organization decision and it ends with Dee and I, so hold us accountable.”
Browns owner finally learns what Texans fans knew this whole time
This trade certainly will go down in the books as one of the, if not THE, worst trades in NFL history. When we look back on it in a few years, it'll likely still be at the top of the worst trades list when recency bias won't be as much of a factor as it is now.
The Texans sent Watson to Cleveland for three first-round picks (the last of which was in the 2024 draft), fourth-rounders in 2022 and 2024, and a third-rounder in 2023. The big names the Texans landed with those picks were Will Anderson Jr. and Tank Dell, both of whom have become big-time playmakers in Houston.
Meanwhile, the Browns paid Watson a boatload of money for him to start 17 games in three years and play like total crap. This was a massive win for Houston and it's hilarious to hear the Browns owner finally admit the trade was terrible.
