Jul 28, 2022; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) talks with managing and principal partners Dee, left and Jimmy Haslam and Ian Rapoport during training camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Browns owner Jimmy Haslam is owning the Deshaun Watson mistake

Originally posted on Cleveland Browns on SI
By Steve Kubitza | Last updated Oct 26, 2025 6:40 AM ET

Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam was not known for his patience during the early stages of his ownership. Coaches and general managers were fired early and often, confusing fans on what the plan was for the franchise in any given year.

The impatience has flipped into extreme patience in 2025. Haslam's Browns are 2-5 on the season and don't appear to have the quarterback of the future on the roster. This has plenty of fans calling for the firings of head coach Kevin Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry. Yet Haslam is holding firm.

There appears to be one clear reason why the owner is not rushing to make any moves. In a somewhat shocking twist, he appears to be shouldering the blame for the failed Deshaun Watson experiment.

Haslam recently spoke with The Athletic's Dianna Russini and clearly endorsed his head coach. But he also noted "a big trade we made didn't work out." The "we" aspect of his answer is very telling.

From my talk with Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, it’s clear that he believes in Kevin Stefanski’s ability to lead his locker room.

“Kevin’s done a really good job with us, and we've had some tough breaks,” Haslam said, referencing the Deshaun Watson trade.https://t.co/6oUQniX8Wc pic.twitter.com/4ZaceitW0a
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) October 25, 2025

Many stories have been told about the team's pursuit of Watson. What seems to be clear is that Haslam went all-in by offering the quarterback an unprecedented fully-guaranteed $230 million deal. While Berry and Stefanski may have gotten the process started, the contract is what sealed the deal after the Browns appeared to be out of the Watson sweepstakes.

Fast forward to today and that contract is a dark cloud hanging over the entire organization. Watson has a cap hit of just over $80 million in 2026 and his dead cap sits at $131 million.

Fans have seen Berry and the front office move Watson's money around on multiple occasions. Yet it appears barring a shocking move, the quarterback will still be on the roster in 2026.

Watson seems to believe he is on the comeback trail and has plenty left in the tank. Meanwhile, the owner of the franchise is saying how bad of a mistake the trade to land Watson was. Clearly, the two sides are on entirely different wavelengths.

That disconnect seems to explain why Haslam is giving Berry and Stefanski time to turn this around. Bringing in a new regime with the Watson contract on the books may not solve much.

The Haslams are far from the most popular family in Cleveland due to the state of the Browns since they took over as owners. Yet taking the blame for a big miss is refreshing after so many years of passing the blame elsewhere.

This article first appeared on Cleveland Browns on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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