The Cleveland Browns have spent the past three seasons dealing with the fallout from the trade for quarterback Deshaun Watson.

The deal cost the Browns on the field thanks to:

• The three No. 1 draft picks they sent to the Houston Texans as part of the deal:
• Watson only playing in 19 games thanks to an NFL suspension (2022) and consecutive season-ending injuries (2023 and 2024); and,
• Watson not being all that good when he was able to play (19 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, 70 sacks, and a quarterback rating of 80.7).

The deal also cost the Browns off the field as it divided a fan base who wanted the team to win, but also struggled with the baggage Watson brought with him from Houston.

Compounding the problem is that Baker Mayfield, the quarterback the Browns could not wait to get rid of so they could bring in Watson, has thrived since signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a free agent in 2023.

BAKER MAYFIELD HAS ONE OF THE ALL-TIME GREAT PERSEVERANCE STORIES.

Cleveland moved them from Baker, Carolina, then cut Baker; he then led a historic comeback for LA & is now a top-10 QB in the NFL for the #Bucs.

One of the most likable players in the NFL pic.twitter.com/7RqvC8zNy3

— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) April 7, 2025

All he has done in two seasons in Tampa is lead the Buccaneers to consecutive playoff appearances while throwing for more than 8,500 yards and 69 touchdowns.

No one associated with the Browns will ever admit they made a mistake in moving on from Mayfield after four seasons. But there is one person who does believe regret resides in the halls of team headquarters in Berea and around Cleveland, and that is linebacker Mack Wilson, who was Mayfield’s teammate with the Browns from 2019 to 2021 and is now a member of the Arizona Cardinals.

Speaking with Kyle Odegard at Esports Insider, Wilson said he never doubted Mayfield and believes the Browns and their fans wish they had a do-over:

“I always knew Baker would succeed. Baker wasn’t drafted No. 1 overall for nothing. And I always felt like Baker was a leader and a great quarterback. He was super competitive, and it was only a matter of time before it was his time to shine. He’s shining now. I’m sure people probably hate that. There are some people that are mad that he’s balling right now. I’m happy for him. He was a cool teammate. Great dude. I don’t have anything bad to say about Baker. He was a great leader.

“There are some people out there mad, for sure.”

What’s done is done, and the Browns are now in the process of moving on from Watson. While he may still hold a roster spot because of his guaranteed contract, Watson has played his last down of football for the Browns as the club has built a full quarterback room with veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett, joined by rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.

As for Mayfield, he will always be one of those Cleveland memories of what could have been. While it is possible that Mayfield would have stayed on a downward trajectory had he remained in Cleveland, no one will ever know that for sure, despite how much some fans and media want you to believe it.

But if you are on the fence, just ask Mack Wilson.