Deshaun Watson did not play during the 2021 season after civil lawsuits were filed against him by 22 women alleging sexual assault and misconduct; Watson recently learned he will not face criminal charges.
Sunday 20 March 2022 16:44, UK
Deshaun Watson is set to sign a record-breaking deal with the Cleveland Browns and says he is "ready to work".
Watson has waived the no-trade clause in his contract with the Houston Texans to be traded to the Browns and the NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero report the quarterback will get a fully guaranteed five-year deal worth $230m - a record for the most guaranteed money given to a player in a single contract, beating the previous record of $150m.
The Texans have also sent a fifth-round pick to the Browns and will receive three first-round picks, a third-rounder and a fourth in compensation for the 26-year-old.
Watson posted an image of himself in a mocked-up Browns uniform on Instagram, along with the message: "Cleveland, LETSSSS GOOOO!! #DawgPound Ready To Work!"
Texans general manager Nick Caserio said: "We agreed to trade Deshaun Watson to the Cleveland Browns. I felt it was the right move for our organization as we head into the new league year focused on building our roster for the 2022 season.
"Our priority right now is adding talented players to the foundation we have already put in place over the last 15 months and this trade supports that plan. As we navigate through the rest of the offseason, we remain open-minded to all avenues that allow us to improve our roster and add to our program."
The news comes after Watson had held meetings with the New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers earlier in the week.
Cleveland, along with the Panthers, had initially been informed they were out of the running for Watson, who has now seemingly changed his mind in order to team up with Kevin Stefanski.
Watson's arrival is meanwhile expected to see Baker Mayfield traded after his request to be moved on had reportedly been rebuffed by the Browns on Thursday.
A Texas grand jury recently declined to indict Watson following accusations of sexual misconduct by 22 women, meaning he will not face criminal charges.
Watson, who did not play during the 2021 season, still faces 22 civil lawsuits of indecent conduct during massage sessions, while he also remains subject to an NFL investigation and potential discipline under the league's personal-conduct policy.
"It's definitely a very emotional moment for me," Watson told reporters after a jury cleared him of criminal charges. "I know we're far from being done of handling what we need to handle on the legal side, but today is definitely a big day.
"I thank everyone that was a part of this, of seeing and hearing both sides, and that's what my point and my team wanted to do is have a fair slate of us telling our side of the story and letting the conclusion come down to what happened today, and that's what the grand jury decided on. I'm just going to keep fighting to rebuild my name and rebuild my appearance in the community, and on the legal side handle what we need to handle. But also ready to get on the field, and prep for that."
Watson, the 12th overall pick out of Clemson at the 2017 Draft, is a three-time Pro Bowler and led the NFL in passing yards in 2020 alongside a career-high 33 touchdowns and 70.2 completion percentage to seven interceptions.
He requested a trade from the Texans before the allegations emerged last January having reportedly becoming frustrated after the organisation failed to bring him in on the appointment of a new general manager.
Watson signed a four-year $177m contract extension in Houston ahead of the 2020 campaign, the inclusion of a no-trade clause giving him the power with regards to where he would land.
Houston's asking price has always been three first-round picks at a minimum.
The departure of Watson in addition to veteran free agent Tyrod Taylor, who is signing with the New York Giants, is expected to see the Texans move forward with Davis Mills as their starting quarterback in 2022.
Davis, a 2021 third-round pick out of Stanford, finished his rookie year 263 of 394 passing for 2,664 yards and 16 touchdowns to 10 interceptions over 13 games.
The team meanwhile enter the upcoming campaign under new leadership following the promotion of Lovie Smith to head coach in the wake of David Culley's dismissal.
