Count the Cleveland Browns out of the running to acquire Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, as the team was officially informed on Thursday that they were no longer under consideration for a Watson trade, according to ESPN.
The Browns met with Watson on Tuesday in Houston and attempted to convince the quarterback to waive his no-trade clause to play for them, but Watson decided to cut them from a list of potential teams that includes the New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers, and Atlanta Falcons.
The Browns will now have to navigate their future at the quarterback position after whiffing on Watson and burning a bridge with current signal caller Baker Mayfield, who posted a statement on social media thanking the city of Cleveland and Browns fans “who truly embraced who I am.”
Mayfield reportedly learned about the Browns meeting with Watson via social media, despite Browns general manager Andrew Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski had repeatedly declared this offseason that Mayfield would remain the Browns starting quarterback.
