Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam is facing criticism after the team decided to put Deshaun Watson back into the starting picture.

Speaking on BIGPLAY Cleveland, Jack O’Rourke questioned why Haslam would continue with Watson after acknowledging that the move had gone wrong.

Former Browns defensive lineman Phil Taylor and Nick Pedone were also part of the discussion, which focused on Watson’s return to the starting role. O’Rourke said:

“That's like the crazy part to me. It's like Jimmy Haslam did start to admit his mistake with Deshaun Watson. I think he even started to gain back some good graces from Browns fans who had lost hope in him and his regime and ownership. That's what's wild, just putting him out there. No?"

The comments come as Watson prepares to start the 2026 season as Cleveland’s QB1.

Jimmy Haslam’s past comments could come back to haunt him

Jimmy Haslam called the Browns’ decision to acquire Deshaun Watson a “swing and miss” in 2025.

Jack O’Rourke believes that admission helped Haslam regain some goodwill among Browns fans who had lost faith in his ownership.

“Here's the thing I just can't ever get over is the fact that he came out publicly and said, 'This is a swing and a miss.' And then he's running him back out there. That's like the crazy part to me,” O’Rourke said.

However, Deshaun Watson winning the starting job over Shedeur Sanders has brought those previous comments back into focus.

For O’Rourke, the decision to put Watson back out there makes Haslam’s earlier admission particularly difficult to reconcile.

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Sayantan