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Deshaun Watson's time in Houston has officially come to an end after the quarterback agreed to waive his no-trade clause and join the Cleveland Browns. Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Houston Texans will receive three first-round picks and two additional picks from the Browns for Watson.
The move comes as a massive surprise as news broke that the Browns were told that Watson wasn't interested in joining the team.
But evidently, things changed overnight, as the quarterback has now decided to end his time in Houston and move to Cleveland. The most likely reason for this sudden change of heart is the Browns' record-breaking contract offer to Watson.
Deshaun Watson signs the biggest guaranteed contract in NFL history
The trade is official. Deshaun Watson will sign a five-year, $230 million fully-guaranteed deal with the Browns. This is the largest guaranteed contract in NFL history by some distance.
Buffalo Bills' Josh Allen held the previous record with $150 million but was narrowly surpassed by Aaron Rodgers' latest contract extension, which will see the future Hall of Famer make $150.6 million. Watson's deal with the Browns exceeds Rodgers' number by $79.4 million.
Watson's contract is the third-largest in the NFL behind Kansas City Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes' $450 million deal and Allen's $258 million extension he signed in August 2021.
Cleveland Browns to trade QB Baker Mayfield
It's a big coup for the Cleveland Browns, who will now turn their attention to finding a trade partner for Baker Mayfield. The prevailing thought was that if the Browns managed to land Deshaun Watson, they would trade Mayfield to the Texans. But as per Rapoport, the former number one overall draft pick isn't in the package heading the Texans' way.
Mayfield requested a trade and told ESPN that the relationship between him and the Browns was "too far fine to mend."
The Browns rejected Mayfield's request, who's in the final year of his rookie deal, but will now likely look to facilitate a trade for their former starting quarterback. Mayfield has reportedly expressed an interest in joining the Indianapolis Colts, who were also interested in trading for Watson, but were told by the Texans that they won't be dealing their starting quarterback to a team in the AFC South.
The Browns will likely honor Mayfield's request as an endearment for his contributions to the franchise. The quarterback led Cleveland to their first playoff win in 26 years, helping the Browns beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 48-37 in the Wild Card round last season.
Mayfield couldn't build off that win and endured a torrid season in 2021, throwing for just 3,010 yards with 17 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, as the Browns labored to an 8-9. The quarterback's woeful campaign can be attributed to a slew of shoulder injuries he suffered last season, but the team couldn't resist the urge to move on from Mayfield and land Deshaun Watson.
Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts overtake Deshaun Watson as highest paid QBs based on AAV
Fast forward to 2023, Jalen Hurts and Lamar Jackson overtake the Cleveland Browns QB to become the highest paid QBs in NFL.
Jalen Hurts led the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl appearance with a stellar 2022 season in the bag. The Eagles QB threw for over 4000 yards through the season, accounting for 25 overall touchdowns. Capping off a great run, the Eagles handed Jalen Hurts a 5-year, $255 million contract, with $179 million in guarantees.
Weeks after Jalen Hurts' mammoth extension, Lamar Jackson struck a new deal with the Baltimore Ravens, following a long stand off with the organization. Both the parties agreed on a 5-year, $260 million extension with $185 million in guarantees.
Top 5 highest paid QBs in the NFL based on AAV
Here's the list of the top earning QBs in the league based on annual average value:
