Browns Accused of Leaking Info on QB Deshaun Watson in Attempt to Terminate His Contract

The Cleveland Browns were willing to look the other way on more than two dozen accusations of sexual misconduct when they traded three first-round picks (and then some) for QB Deshaun Watson in March 2022 before signing him to a $230 million contract that they fully guaranteed.

More than two years later, Watson has started just 13 games in a Browns uniform and has been a below-average player by any metric -- traditional or advanced -- when actually on the field. That includes a 169-yard, 2-INT performance against the Dallas Cowboys in a blowout home loss in Week 1.

Dan LeBatard, a prominent national podcaster and founder of Meadowlark Media who made his name at ESPN and the Miami Herald across decades of sports coverage, insinuated on the Tuesday, September 10 edition of his show that the Browns have now turned on Watson.

He added that there is reason to suspect the team is leaking information on the newest and extremely graphic allegation of sexual assault against Watson, which came out in a lawsuit filed Monday, to create a path toward voiding the remaining three years and $100-plus million on Watson's deal.

“The number of people who will defend this behavior if they think their quarterback is good, and then the strategic leaking of stuff that makes you wonder, 'Are they trying to get out from under the contract?'" Le Batard said . "It's pretty gross."

Le Batard and his former executive producer Mike Ryan Ruiz were critical of Cleveland ownership and management two and a half years ago when the organization gave Watson such a lucrative opportunity after a full season on the sidelines with the Houston Texans and the dozens of disturbing, unresolved allegations against him.

On Tuesday, both men were again critical of the Browns -- this time, in part, because of the franchise's apparent hypocrisy.

“The finances of this [are] so cold and awful that you’re now like, 'Oh the Browns are going to try and see if they can sneak away from everything there when they shouldn’t be able to,'" Le Batard added.