Despite calling the Deshaun Watson trade a “big swing-and-miss”, Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslem told a group of reporters on Monday at the NFL’s league meetings that Watson has a “great chance” to be the team’s starting quarterback and said he has a “fresh start” with first-year head coach Todd Monken.
The Deshaun Watson trade has been a disaster for the Browns both on and off the field.
Suspension and injuries have limited Watson, who was a three-time Pro Bowler with the Houston Texans, to just 19 games since the Browns traded three first-round picks and gave him a fully guaranteed $230 million contract in March of 2022.
Since joining Cleveland, his 33.1 Total QBR would rank last among qualifying passers. The Browns will pay Watson a $46 million salary in 2026 but recently restructured his contract to lower what was set to be an NFL-high $80.7 million cap hit this upcoming season.
Browns general manager Andrew Berry previously said that all of Cleveland’s quarterbacks will be expected to compete for the starting job. Monken has spoken of giving Watson the “benefit of the doubt” as a former elite player.
Haslam said Watson “threw the ball well” during a three-week span late in the 2025 season when he was designated to return to practice from the physically unable to perform list. Cleveland opened Watson’s practice window with the intention of getting him practice reps before the offseason workout program this spring.
“You got to do it in games, under pressure, et cetera, but he threw the ball well,” Haslam said.
