Former Browns QB Opens Up About Jimmy Haslam's Deshaun Watson Admission

Robert Griffin III knows a thing or two about being the quarterback of the Cleveland Browns. It hasn't been for the faint of heart, but perhaps the Browns have an opportunity to start over once again.

Jan 1, 2017; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Robert Griffin III (10) scrambles with the ball against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the first quarter at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The first step at fixing a problem is admitting you actually have a problem. The Cleveland Browns have had a quarterback problem for a long time now. That's no secret to those who follow the NFL even on a casual basis.

The issue for the Browns is that in today's NFL, you have to have a star quarterback if you plan on winning a Super Bowl. That's why teams take big swings at the top of the NFL Draft or make bold trades. Not all big trades are advisable, though, and for Browns co-owner Jimmy Haslam, he found that out the hard way when he traded a package that included three first-round picks to the Houston Texans for quarterback Deshaun Watson.

Haslam admitted as much on Monday.

"We took a big swing-and-miss with Deshaun," Haslam said the NFL's annual owner's meeting, according to Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN. "We thought we had the quarterback; we didn't. And we gave up a lot of draft picks to get him, so we've got to dig ourselves out of that hole."

Haslam ended up holding himself and the other co-owner, Dee Haslam, responsible for making the decision, and that's not even to mention the multitude of off-field and legal issues Watson had been dealing with while with the Texans.

Still, the Browns took that big, inadvisable swing, and instead of hitting a home run they struck out. As Haslam mentioned, now it's time for the Browns to figure out how to move on and dig themselves out of this mess.

That will likely start with pick No. 2 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, but according to former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III (who played with the Browns in 2016), even the admission of making a mistake here will be good for Cleveland.

"The Deshaun Watson trade is the worst trade in NFL history, but we all knew that already. Jimmy and Dee Haslam admitting it is the first step towards recovery for the Cleveland Browns organization and their fans on their journey to find their franchise quarterback," RGIII wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

The Deshaun Watson trade is the WORST TRADE in NFL history, but we all knew that already. Jimmy and Dee Haslam admitting it is the first step towards recovery for the Cleveland Browns organization and their fans on their journey to find their franchise quarterback.

— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) April 1, 2025

At pick No. 2, the Browns could hypothetically have their pick between Miami's Cam Ward or Colorado's Shedeur Sanders as they look to re-start the "franchise quarterback cycle". There are scenarios where the Browns could take the best player available, though — perhaps Colorado's Travis Hunter — and then go get that quarterback later on in the draft.

Either way, the Browns have to move on from the Watson era. He's played in only 19 games since 2022 due to a suspension as well as consecutive season-ending injuries. It's time to put the past in the past.