Browns' $230 million contract decision ranked as worst in NFL history

Billy Heyen

Browns' $230 million contract decision ranked as worst in NFL history image

Everyone knows the Cleveland Browns got this one wrong. 

But if anyone needed reminding, the Deshaun Watson deal was a historic mistake by the Browns.

They traded a boatload of assets to the Texans in 2022, then signed Watson to a fully-guaranteed $230 million contract.

Then he got suspended, then struggled, then tore his Achilles. Ouch.

Bleacher Report named it the worst contract in the NFL heading into the 2025 season, and went a step further.

"Barring a massive surprise, Cleveland is set to pay out another $167.1 million for Watson to quietly go away," B/R wrote. "This isn't just the worst active contract in the NFL—it might be the worst deal in league history."

MORE: Notre Dame is recruiting another QB named Brady Quinn

The Browns are making wholesale QB changes with four new guys brought in this offseason (Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel).

There's really no argument with Watson being the worst deal ever, especially when you combine it with the draft pick haul Houston got to give Watson up.

Cleveland will be regretting this one for a long, long time.

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Billy Heyen

Billy Heyen is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who has written about many sports and fantasy sports for The Sporting News. Sports reporting work has also appeared in a number of newspapers, including the Sandusky Register and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle