Watson: Accepting trade 'had nothing to do with the contract'

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson, center, poses for a portrait with general manager Andrew Berry, left, and head coach Kevin Stefanski during Watson's introductory press conference at the Cleveland Browns Training Facility. Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK

Deshaun Watson: Accepting trade to Browns 'had nothing to do with the contract'

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Steve DelVecchio | Last updated 3/25/22

Deshaun Watson did not seem like he was being entirely truthful during his introductory press conference with the Cleveland Browns on Friday, and one statement in particular was almost impossible to believe.

Watson signed a five-year, $230 million deal with the Browns after the Houston Texans traded him to Cleveland. The entire contract is guaranteed, and it has been reported that Watson chose the Browns for that reason. However, he told reporters on Friday that he didn’t even know about the contract offer until after he decided he wanted to play for Cleveland.

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“It had nothing to do with the contract,” Watson said. “I didn’t know about the contract until I told my agent that I wanted to come be a Cleveland Brown. That was secondary. That was after the fact. … That had nothing to do with me choosing the Cleveland Browns.”

Unless almost every report leading up to the Watson trade was inaccurate, we highly doubt that is true. Watson reportedly informed the Browns that they were out of the running at one point. After he ended up in Cleveland, a report said the Atlanta Falcons were close to landing Watson before he made some late contract demands regarding guaranteed money. Something similar supposedly happened when Watson’s representatives were negotiating with the Carolina Panthers.

Not only did the Browns guarantee Watson’s entire contract, but they made his base salary $1 million next season. That would save Watson a ton of money in the event that he’s suspended. That makes it difficult to believe the contract wasn't a primary factor in him going to Cleveland.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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