Deshaun Watson’s decision to accept a trade to the Cleveland Browns came as a shock. That was mostly down to the fact that the Browns were not one of his finalists initially, while two other teams were.
The New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons were seen as the leaders for Watson, with the Falcons in particular making a very strong push for the quarterback. Atlanta did come close to a Watson trade, according to James Palmer of NFL Network. However, Watson’s camp made late demands for more money and guarantees in order to accept a trade, which the Falcons balked at.
The #falcons thought they were close. Very close to landing Watson. And they were actually working something out, but late in the talks came even more demands including more money and guarantees per sources.
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) March 18, 2022
Money appears to be the driving issue here. When the Browns came in and offered to pay Watson $230 million in guarantees, Atlanta had to either step up or miss out on Watson, and they chose the latter option.
We do not know how far the Falcons were willing to go to get Watson, though it seemed they were willing to do more than one rival team. Coming anywhere close to the level of guarantees from the Browns was simply a bridge too far.
Photo: Aug 17, 2019; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) before a game against the Detroit Lions at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
