CLEReceived
Cleveland Browns
PDeshaun Watson
#2024 sixth-round pick
Quarterback megadeal · March 18, 2022
The unprecedented trade and contract that sent Deshaun Watson to Cleveland
Cleveland acquired Deshaun Watson and a late pick. Houston received a package led by three consecutive first-round selections.
See where this happened in the 2022 offseason →The original receipt
Every asset in the deal
Each team panel shows the players and draft assets it received.
To CLE2024PICKround asset
To HOU20221STround asset20231STround asset+3 assetsHOUReceived
Houston Texans
#2022 first-round pick
#2023 first-round pick
#2024 first-round pick
#2023 third-round pick
#2024 fourth-round pick
Why it happened
The bet each side made
The Browns made an extraordinary football and financial commitment amid serious off-field allegations; Houston chose the draft capital for a total reset.
Why history remembers it
The fully guaranteed contract and three-first price became a cautionary benchmark as injuries, suspension and performance limited Watson's availability.
What changed
The consequences
- Houston converted the draft capital into several branches of its rebuild.
- Watson's first Cleveland seasons were heavily limited by suspension and injury.
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