Defying His Many Critics, Browns’ QB Deshaun Watson Makes Statement Of Confidence: ‘I’ll Be Back Way Better Than Before’

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson has received much criticism on the field since his trade from the Houston Texans in 2022.

Browns’ owner Jimmy Haslam recently referred to the trade as a “big swing and a miss” after three seasons of recurring injury from Watson and mediocre play at best when Watson is on the field.

Watson has a different view of the situation.

“Everybody is doubting me,” Watson said on a video on his Instagram page. “I know, I’m going to be way better than before.”

When Watson was with the Texans, he was widely regarded as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, leading to a four-year, $160 million deal with the team. After demanding a trade and landing on the Browns, he signed a fully guaranteed 5-year, $230 million deal.

That contract now appears to be among the worst deals in NFL history.

Watson’s future with the Browns is unclear. If the Browns decide to cut Watson, they would owe $173 million in dead money for 2025 and $136 million for 2026. Both numbers would be larger than the previous record for dead money owed for a single player, set by the Denver Broncos in 2024 after cutting Russell Wilson.

The Browns traded for former Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Kenny Pickett. It’s also possible the Browns, who currently hold the second overall pick in the NFL draft, could target either quarterback Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders in the first round.