Cleveland anchorman Jay Crawford, a distinguished football pundit believes the DeShaun Watson trade saga was one of the most perplexing stories of his career.
Watson, the former Clemson quarterback faced a multitude of sexual harassment charges and despite returning to active duty late last year has failed to make an impact.
PJ Walker, in his first season at the Browns has been doing well when replacing Watson helping the team to a surprise win over the 49ers in week 6 and coming on early for Watson in their 39-38 win over the Colts.
In one of the most bizarre contract signings the Browns signed Watson to a $230 million guaranteed five-year deal, the largest guaranteed payout in NFL history.
Since then, he has been suspended for the first 11 games of the 2022 and was slapped with a fine of $5 million by the league.
He settled 20 of the sexual allegations cases, made by over two dozen masseuses.
He started his Browns career 700 days after joining the team, lining up against his former team the Texans.
He threw for 131 yards in that game and picked up his worst passer rating of his career, at 53.4.
Baker Mayfield, now at the Buccaneers left the Browns in 2021 after the Watson talks got underway.
“It was unlike anything I had done in my career,” said Crawford. “It was just such a weird time because, you have to remember at the time of the trade, they were only two years removed, not even, from Baker Mayfield turning this franchise from a perennial loser to a playoff team that won a playoff game at Pittsburgh and damn near came within a fourth down conversion of beating Kansas City in Kansas City to go to the AFC Championship Game.
According to Crawford, “Baker found out through the media that they were pursuing Deshaun Watson. And the next day, the story comes out that Watson told the Browns, no, he doesn’t want to play in Cleveland. Then the Browns came back to Baker. Now, Baker’s holding the hammer and Baker said, ‘No, I want, I can’t play for you guys. You were ready to move on yesterday and now your new date to the prom said no and now you wanna go to the prom with me? I’m good.”
“And then in a matter of nine months, that whole thing was blown up.”
The Browns front up to the Seahawks this weekend and either walker or Watson will be the line caller.
Both teams are 4-2 and will be desperate for a fifth win.
