He had huge red flags in terms of character, has been a compete bust and is making Jamarcus Russell’s deal look like a bargain.

Cleveland could have been a SB contender with a decent QB and instead they gave their fans this epic disaster.

If this isn’t the worst contract of all time, what signings are worse?

  • dpykm@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    They would have to win a Super Bowl AT LEAST, and the longer he’s on the roster the less likely that gets due to the way his contract cannibalizes their finances. Undoubtedly fucking horrendous.

  • gigglefarting@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    The only way it isn’t is if Watson wins them the Super Bowl. Otherwise it is the worst contract by far and a reason no one else is offering even better players comparable contracts

  • ImOldGregg_77@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    Brock Osweilers’ contract comes to mind. Bot as lucrative as Watsons, but Osweiler didn’t have nearly the potential Watcon had.

  • infoslob@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    Worst contract ever.

    1. Biggest guaranteed money deal ever (actually who are we trying to kid - this topic doubles as ‘Best NFL Player Contract Ever’)

    2. Traded for & signed with looming headache over serial sexual assault cases

    3. ZERO leverage when they trade for him and then have to sign.

    Browns fans didn’t deserve this.

  • marchillo@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    Worst ever and it won’t even be close:

    3 more years at 60 million each season, he’ll probably play 25-30 games total

    Guaranteed money plus lost draft capital

    Dragged your team (let’s be honest, entire city) reputation by looking the other way on his sexual assault charges

    Wasted the best defense in the NFL

    They did this to themselves. Browns should be cleaning house

  • EasyRider1530@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    I could have told you that before he ever took a snap. Getting paid more than NFL elites, they had to redo Patrick Mahomes contract bc this scrub was getting paid more. That’s why owners refused to pay beyond that in the offseason. Raising that ceiling would be ridiculous

  • Barner_Burner@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    There’s still years to go to find out. I think it’ll be pretty hard for him to not be overpaid on such a contract, but if the Browns are successful during his tenure (which next year will be a big prove it year since he dealt with nagging injuries this year) then I’d venture to say it wasn’t the worst contract “of all time”

    Overpaid though? Yes unless he like wins multiple MVPs and a superbowl

  • Crotean@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    Do they really have no clauses for injury retirement or being cut to reduce that money at all?

  • psych4191@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    Albert Haynesworth still takes the cake to me. As fucked as the whole situation is, the Browns thought they were getting a franchise QB. It blew up in their face and I think most of us are enjoying that, but it still made SOME sense. Albert got a bag from Washington even though he was already proving more trouble than he was worth. His last year in Tennessee he was an All Pro… And they still let him walk. Washington ignored that and I’m pretty sure they made him the highest paid DT ever at the time.

  • sfzen@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    Unless he turns it around in a big way next year, yes, absolutely.

    Not only did they give him $230 million guaranteed, but they traded a king’s ransom to get him. Three 1sts, a 3rd, and a 4th in return for Watson and a 5th is almost as much as Washington gave up to draft RG3 (three 1sts and a 2nd), and they got him on a rookie contract that only ended up paying RG3 around $21m total for his entire time there.

    It’s worse than the Haynesworth contract, for example, both in terms of sheer financial cost and in terms of setting the team back for years in a much worse way. It’s worse tha. The JaMarcus Russell rookie contract by a mile when you factor in the draft picks spent in the trade.

    As of right now, Watson has played a total of 12 games (including the ones he left early due to injury) for the Browns and amassed a total of 2200 yards, 14 TD, and 9 INT across two seasons, at the cost of over $91 million. Without even mentioning the draft picks they gave up for him, that is absolutely ridiculous.

  • Altruistic-Zone1664@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    Anybody saying yes right now is being stupid. It’s too early to determine how good or bad it will be when he has 3 more years on his contract. If this was some career effecting injury then that would be one thing, but it’s season ending.

    Anybody saying it’s the worst now when all it would take is to get hot one of the next 3 years to go on a playoff run and win a Super Bowl to make it 100% more than worth it is just not paying attention to what’s going on.

    Being not worth it right now and it being over aren’t the same.