Where does the Browns’ Deshaun Watson rank on our list of The 40 Most Influential People in Cleveland Sports?

No. 1. Deshaun Watson, Browns quarterback

The Browns missed again. Back to the drawing board, back to the NFL combine. Reach back into the closet, grab Cleveland’s least favorite jersey, and cross another name off the list of failed starting quarterbacks.

If only forgetting the Deshaun Watson disaster was that simple.

Cleveland’s quarterback will always have a high place on the list of The 40 Most Influential People in Cleveland Sports, but Watson ranks first because his name will endure, no matter how hard this city scribbles over it. Even after the Browns erase Watson from their roster, they will still be stuck paying his poisonous contract. And even after they deposit the last guaranteed dime they owe him, this franchise will still be fighting uphill to regain the competitive ground and public goodwill sacrificed to acquire him.

You thought former Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield was haunting Cleveland? Wait till you see this ghost.

This horror movie, like many before it, is defined by its origin. Back in March 2022, when Watson faced only 22 sexual misconduct lawsuits and the Browns were most embarrassed about their 8-9 record, the Browns gambled their reputation on Watson’s talent. And so we’re clear: None of this franchise’s faces can absolve themselves from the full-court press Cleveland deployed to land the former Pro Bowl passer.

Owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam approved the largest guaranteed contract in league history (five years, $230 million). President of football operations Andrew Berry deemed Watson (and his legal troubles) worth three first-round draft picks, five picks overall. Coach Kevin Stefanski boarded a plane to pitch Watson in Houston.

Why? Because, as the Browns said during Watson’s introductory press conference, they “felt good” about Watson as a person (Berry’s words) after conducting their own third-party investigation — which did not include any conversations with the alleged victims — into his legal troubles. They “got comfortable” with the move (Dee Haslam’s words) as they spoke more with Watson and the people around him. And they were “looking forward to (Watson) making a very positive impact in this community,” (Stefanski’s words), even if they understood that fans would need time to embrace their new quarterback.

“We as a family, we as ownership, we as an organization understood this was going to be difficult, that there would be a lot of people who were not comfortable with it and would criticize it,” Jimmy Haslam said that day. “We understand it will take time. Some people may never get over it. But here again, we’re confident in Deshaun, and in the organization, that over a period of time, he’ll be able to gain their trust.”

Trust? In the NFL, your word is your performance. And during Watson’s two-plus seasons (19 games) in Cleveland, the Browns are 9-10 when he starts. He’s thrown 19 touchdown passes, 12 interceptions and averaged 177.1 yards per game. Due to both suspension and injury, he’s never started more than seven games in a season.

And since the time the Browns felt “good” and “comfortable” about their background work on Watson, five more lawsuits have been filed against him from his time in Houston.

Less than three years after the Watson trade, Jimmy Haslam looks right about one thing: The Browns’ big gamble has lasting implications. “Never” is a strong word, but Cleveland won’t recover from this mistake for a long time.

If your average franchise rebuild requires (conservatively) two-plus years of civic patience, then how long will it take to build another winner around Watson’s massive dead salary cap hits ($72.9 million in 2025 and 2026, as of this writing)? And if the Browns follow the franchise’s worst trade ever with another series of tanking seasons, how much enthusiasm can this fan base summon once the Browns are ready to compete again?

Hard to say. This region has a strong stomach for horror films.

But as the Browns return to their drawing board, and fans return their Watson gear, neither will soon forget Cleveland’s latest failed quarterback. The team will draft another one, and fans will scribble over their least favorite jersey.

They will not however, rebound from the Watson trade anytime soon.

The 40 Most Influential People in Cleveland Sports

• No. 40: Sherrone Moore, Michigan football coach
• No. 39: John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens coach
• No. 38: T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher
• No. 37: Jameis Winston, Browns quarterback
• No. 36: Will Howard, Ohio State quarterback
• No. 35: Justin Fields, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback.
• No. 34: Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers coach.
• No. 33: Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback.
• No. 32: Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs tight end
• No. 31: Tom Hamilton, Guardians radio announcer.
• No. 30: Jim Donovan, former Browns radio voice.
• No. 29: Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs quarterback.
• No. 28: Lamar Jackson, Ravens quarterback.
• No. 27: LeBron James, Lakers forward.
• No. 26: Denzel Ward, Browns cornerback
• No. 25: Josh Naylor, Guardians first baseman
• No. 24 Steven Kwan, Guardians outfielder
• No. 23: Emmanuel Clase, Guardians closer
• No. 22: Jarrett Allen, Cavs center
• No. 21: Evan Mobley, Cavs big man
• No. 20: Amari Cooper, Browns wide receiver
• No. 19: Darius Garland, Cavs guard
• No. 18: Jedrick Wills Jr., Browns tackle
• No. 17: Dan Gilbert, Cavs owner
• No. 16: Paul Dolan, Guardians owner
• No. 15: Stephen Vogt, Guardians manager
• No. 14: Kenny Atkinson, Cavs coach
• No. 13: Ryan Day, Ohio State coach
• No. 12: Jim Schwartz, Browns defensive coordinator
• No. 11: Ken Dorsey, Browns offensive coordinator
• No. 10: Koby Altman, Cavs general manager
• No. 9: Chris Antonetti, Guardians president
• No. 8: Donovan Mitchell, Cavs guard
• No. 7: Myles Garrett, Browns defensive end
• No. 6: Jose Ramirez, Guardians third baseman
• No. 5: Nick Chubb, Browns running back
• No. 4: Kevin Stefanski, Browns head coach
• No. 3: Andrew Berry, Browns GM
• No. 2: Jimmy and Dee Haslam, Browns owners