Deshaun Watson live news updates: Texans QB traded to Browns (2024)

After initially eliminating the Browns from the list of teams he would waive his no-trade clause for, former Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson now lands in Cleveland.

The Browns will send six total draft picks, including three first-round picks, to the Texans in the blockbuster trade and Watson gets a new, fully guaranteed $230 million contract. Watson passed his physical Thursday and was introduced and answered questions from the media Friday.

Several teams, including the Panthers, Saints and Falcons, had been interested in a trade for Watson now that he will not face criminal charges on allegations of sexual assault and misconduct. Watson still faces 22 civil lawsuits and a second grand jury in Texas mulled one of the criminal complaints against Watson on Thursday before also deciding not to move forward.

Watson, who sat out the 2021 season, has not played since 2020 when he led the league in passing with 4,823 yards through the air. The 26-year-old also threw for 33 touchdowns with seven interceptions on a 70.2 completion percentage for a 112.4 rating that season.

This live experience from The Athletic follows developments, news and more surrounding a trade that could change the face of the league for 2022 and beyond.

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(Photo: Nick Cammett / Getty Images)

BEREA, Ohio — With general manager Andrew Berry as the frontman, the Browns formally introduced their new quarterback, Deshaun Watson, on Friday. The delicate and sometimes awkward news conference came a week after the Browns completed a trade with the Houston Texans and approximately five months after the Berry-led Browns decided they’d at least explore the pursuit of Watson.

What we found out Friday is that chasing Watson was always the Browns’ Plan A for the offseason and that much of the covert background work the franchise did on the quarterback started as early as November.

The quarterback was brash, even defiant during Friday's introduction in Berea. But it was the team and its representatives that were trying to make their cases on Friday.

Read more from The Athletic's Jason Lloyd.

(Photo: Ken Blaze / USA Today)

We’ve looked at whom the Texans could select with the third overall pick in previous mock drafts, but who is an option at No. 13?

The Athletic’s draft expert, Dane Brugler, presents five prospects for the Texans to consider. Beat writer Aaron Reiss then evaluates each prospect for need and fit.

Read more below:

The Browns held an introductory press conference for the franchise’s new quarterback, Deshaun Watson, who the team acquired via a trade with the Houston Texans last week. Both Browns GM Andrew Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski began the conference by acknowledging the optics of bringing Watson to Cleveland. The 26-year-old QB still faces 22 active civil suits accusing him of sexual assault and sexual misconduct after two Texas grand juries decided not to indict him on criminal charges.

(Photo: Ken Blaze / USA Today)

The Browns are “confident in Deshaun the person.”

Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam did not attend today’s news conference but will meet with the media later today.

Based on the events of the last week and the stunning trade for Deshaun Watson, this doesn’t seem the time for making predictions on what’s next for the Cleveland Browns.

That said, it doesn’t look like the team has a current trade partner for Baker Mayfield. That means the Browns probably have to keep Mayfield on the roster at least until the draft — and eventually might have to surrender a draft pick or pay part of his 2022 salary to facilitate a trade.

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“I know these allegations (are) very, very serious,” new Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson said. “I’ve never assaulted any woman. I’ve never disrespected any woman. I just want the opportunity to be able to show who I really am in the community.”

Asked why he used 40 massage therapists, Watson said, “Forty is just over time. It’s not in one period of time.” Watson declined to explain much further, citing an ongoing investigation.

Watson also said on his reputation and image: “I understand that there is going to be a stain that's probably going to stick with me for a while. I've never done the things these people are alleging. I'm going to continue to fight for my name.”

More from Watson: "I don’t have any regrets. The things that are off the field right now that came up caught me by surprise because I never did anything that these people are alleging."

Here are Deshaun Watson’s first public comments on asking the Texans for a trade.

He added: “The contract was given to me. The organization was honest with me. I was honest with them. We reached a conclusion.”

Companies align their brands with sports franchises hoping some of the high visibility and popularity from being associated with a famous team translates into wider consumer awareness and sales for the sponsor.

That is presumably why the dozens of Cleveland Browns sponsors signed on. Notwithstanding the Factory of Sadness days, working with the Browns in Ohio is typically an instant image boost for sponsors, which can each spend millions of dollars annually for that benefit.

Bad publicity — other than lost games — is not supposed to be part of the package, so how do the sponsors feel now that the team signed Deshaun Watson to a five-year, $230 million guaranteed mega-contract? Watson faces 22 civil complaints from female massage therapists who accuse him of a range of sexual misconduct. Two Texas grand juries decided not to file charges against him.

The Athletic reached out to 16 Browns sponsors, from the biggest — the stadium naming rights partner FirstEnergy — to every gate sponsor like KeyBank, to practice facility partner Cross Country Mortgage. The response? Largely silence, with a few no comments. A FirstEnergy spokesman said he had passed on the question to a more senior colleague, but then said he did not have permission to disclose that person’s name or contact details.

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A grand jury in another Texas county declined to file charges against Deshaun Watson on Thursday, the Brazoria County district attorney's office confirmed.

The latest proceedings are occurring nearly two weeks after a grand jury in Harris County, which includes Houston, didn't indict Watson on criminal charges related to sexual misconduct allegations against him. Harris County presented nine complaints against Watson to that grand jury.

Deshaun Watson’s only trip to Cleveland included a storm.

The Texans were in town to play the Browns in November 2020 on a day the opening kickoff was delayed 36 minutes because of a hail-producing thunderstorm. High, swirling winds wreaked havoc the entire afternoon and made throwing incredibly difficult in a game the Browns won, 10-7. In a season when he led the league in passing, Watson threw for a season-low 163 yards and acknowledged afterward the conditions were “real tough.”

That was Watson’s starting point with Cleveland as he listened to the team’s presentation last Tuesday. Browns coach Kevin Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry had flown from Cleveland to Houston, while team owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam flew in from Florida. Together, the four walked into the law offices of Rusty Hardin & Associates with the opportunity to dramatically alter the course of the franchise.

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The Deshaun Watson trade is official with statements from Dee and Jimmy Haslam.