On March 18, the Cleveland Browns won the Deshaun Watson sweepstakes when the former Clemson and Houston Texans quarterback agreed to waive his no-trade clause and be dealt to Cleveland.
That came after the Browns, who gave up a total of six draft picks (including three first-round picks) to get Watson, had reportedly been eliminated from consideration by the three-time Pro Bowler earlier that week.
But in the end, Watson chose Cleveland as his trade destination, and he recently explained that decision and how he ended up picking the Browns in a one-on-one interview with Browns Senior Media Broadcaster Nathan Zegura.
“It was an interesting timeline. Basically had a maybe five-day window to kind of decide on where I want to go,” said Watson, who chose the Browns over teams like the New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers.
“Everyone in the media and outside was kind of rushing me. I didn’t want to rush this decision. So, it led to Browns being out, but necessarily they were never out. Me and my agent knew that, and what was the best situation for me ultimately to help the team win a Super Bowl, and where can I continue to go into a great chemistry, a great organization, a great GM, a great head coach and a great staff around them and just a great fan base? And that’s what I wanted, ultimately, and I knew that Cleveland was the opportunity.”
Watson, who was given a new fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract by the Browns – the record for the highest guarantee given to an NFL player – spoke about what the organization and the city of Cleveland are getting in him as the new face of the Browns franchise.
“Just being first class, and that’s what it’s all about,” Watson said. “The Haslams (Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam) are first class, this organization is first class, this city is first class, the fan base is first class. So, you’re getting a quarterback that is first class and that wants to be in the community and help other people – help this family, help this organization, help this restaurant, this store, and really just be involved in everything that we do as one. That’s just what type of person I am, and I’ve always been that person. I’ve been genuine, all about good energy, good vibes, and just making sure everyone has a smile on their face at the end of the day.”
Drafted in the first round (12th overall) by the Texans in 2017, Watson led the NFL with 4,823 passing yards in 2020, when he last saw NFL action prior to sitting out last season amid his trade request and legal issues.
In his career, Watson has completed 67.8 percent of his passes for 14,539 yards and 104 touchdowns with 36 interceptions.
The two-time Heisman Trophy finalist and 2016 national champion at Clemson believes the Browns’ offense will be something “special” with him at the helm.
“It’s going to special, for sure,” he said. “It’s going to be real, real special.”
You can watch Watson’s full interview with Zegura below:
–Photo for this article courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
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