Back in March 2022, former Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson signed a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract with the Cleveland Browns after being traded from the Houston Texans to the Browns, who gave away several draft picks (including three first-round picks) in the deal.

Three years later, Cleveland Browns co-owner Jimmy Haslam spoke candidly about the franchise’s huge investment in Watson, saying that acquiring him and signing him to a mega deal was “a big swing and miss.”

Watson is under contract with Cleveland through the 2026 season and is still owed $92 million fully guaranteed over the next two seasons.

“We took a big swing and miss with Deshaun,” Haslam said at the NFL’s annual spring meetings this week, via Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. “We thought we had the quarterback, we didn’t and we gave up a lot of draft picks to get him. So we’ve got to dig ourselves out of that hole.

“(It) was an entire organization decision and it ends with (co-owner) Dee (Haslam) and I, so hold us accountable.”

Watson apparently heard those words loud and clear.

One day after Haslam’s comments, Watson took to Instagram with a message that is presumably a direct response to Haslam.

“maybe, if I weren’t built for this, I’d let it phase me ..” Watson wrote in his post, which includes numerous workout photos of his Achilles rehab.

Less than three months after his initial tear, Watson tore his Achilles for the second time and underwent another surgery in January to repair it, and he “will likely miss significant time” during the 2025 season.

Watson, who was placed on IR this past October after his original tear, completed 63.4 percent of his passes for 1,148 yards and five touchdowns with three interceptions in seven games during the 2024 season. He also ran for 148 yards and another score on the ground.

A three-time Pro Bowler during his time with the Texans, Watson has a 66.2 completion percentage for his career with 17,904 passing yards and 123 passing touchdowns with 48 interceptions in 73 career games with the Texans and Browns since being selected by Houston in the first round (12th overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft.

The re-tear of his Achilles marked the latest setback for Watson, who has faced plenty of adversity in recent seasons, on and off the field. He played in just six games in his first season with Cleveland in 2022 after having to serve a suspension and then was limited to just six games in 2023 and seven in 2024 due to season-ending injuries.