Historians have a lengthy history to examine when looking for the worst trade in NFL history.
Minnesota’s deal for Herschel Walker has long topped most lists as Dallas acquired several draft picks that ultimately anchored their Super Bowl-winning teams in the 1990s.
Recently, Denver’s acquisition of Russell Wilson was in contention for that title after the Broncos sent five picks and two players to Seattle.
Denver released the veteran signal-caller two years later and created the largest amount of dead cap space for one player in league history.
Still, NFL insider Mike Florio did not mince his words when he offered that the Cleveland Browns own that distinction now.
Florio pointed to the Browns’ 2022 move for quarterback Deshaun Watson as the new chart-topper while discussing who he believes Cleveland will trust with its starting quarterback role in 2025.
> “I think Carson Wentz will be the one that they bring in to ultimately win the job at a time when they need cheap quarterbacks because they’ve got so much money and cap space still tied up in that albatross of a Deshaun Watson contract, the single worst transaction in NFL history. And that is not exaggeration,” Florio said.
Watson’s deal has been creeping up the charts for multiple reasons.
Cleveland surrendered three first-round draft picks to the Texans and six total selections, and Houston has acquired impact players with those choices.
Additionally, the Browns signed Watson to a five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed contract after trading for him.
Despite reworking Watson’s deal multiple times over the past two years, Cleveland finds itself with little wiggle room for the 2025 season to acquire free agents.
Watson has started just 19 games over the past three seasons, going 9-10 during that stint.
His health issues have complicated matters, and now he’s expected to miss most of this season while recovering from an Achilles injury.
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