Last offseason, the Cleveland Browns shocked the NFL world when they not only agreed to trade for quarterback Deshaun Watson despite the horrible accusations against him, but they offered him a massive and unprecedented fully-guaranteed contract. And owner Jimmy Haslam stands by that move.
The contract has been a source of controversy around the NFL as other quarterbacks around like the league have begun to seek similar deals – like Lamar Jackson. But Jimmy Haslam defended the move.
“Every team, every business, has to look and do what they think is in the best interest of their team,” Haslam said according to the Akron Beacon Journal. “We did what we thought was in the best interest of our team. We still feel that way. So, we’re excited to, if you will, have the stuff behind us. This time last year, how many games is he going to play? Is he going to play? Is he not going to play? He’s going to be there the whole season [now] and barring injury, heaven forbid, he’s going to play all 17 games and hopefully more. That I think alone is a bigger leap to the organization, to Deshaun, to all of us.”
