The Cleveland Browns remain committed to new quarterback Deshaun Watson despite two additional civil lawsuits being filed against him, as Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com is reporting that the Browns are still “all in” on the former Houston Texans quarterback and are not trying to void his record contract or the trade in general.
Cabot notes that nothing has changed for the Browns that would make them willing to part with Watson despite having protections built into the deal.
Cleveland rewarded Watson with a five-year, $230 million fully-guaranteed contract after the 26-year-old was cleared of criminal charges by two different Texas grand juries.
Watson has yet to face a punishment of any kind from the NFL and is awaiting the results of civil court charges. It is not expected that Watson will be placed on the exempt list by Commissioner Roger Goodell.
The Browns traded away first-round picks in 2022, 2023, and 2024 along with a third-rounder in 2023 and two fourths in 2022 and 2024 to acquire Watson and a 2024 sixth-round selection.
Watson was selected to the Pro Bowl the past three seasons he took the field from 2018 to 2020, being inactive for all 17 games in 2021. He took Houston to the playoffs in 2018 and 2019, defeating the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Wild Card during his third season.
The 12th pick in the 2017 draft has been a distraction for Cleveland, who still remains with Baker Mayfield on the roster.