Falcons Biggest Loser in Deshaun Watson Trade to Browns

The Falcons swung and missed. Big time.

Jeremy Brener | Mar 18, 2022

With the stunning news that Deshaun Watson traded to the Cleveland Browns, the Atlanta Falcons are forced to clean the mess he helped create.

Deshaun Watson

The Falcons pulled out all the stops to bring the Gainesville, Ga. native home to "The Peach State," but failed to pull off the deal as Watson jets off to Cleveland.

The Falcons went as far to postpone Matt Ryan's roster guarantee three days so the team could clear the runway for Watson. Now, the Falcons must attempt to bring back the quarterback they just rejected.

Ryan, who turns 37 in May, will receive a $7.5 million guarantee if he is on the Falcons roster by Tuesday.

There is a world where Ryan pushes this under the rug and pretends like this didn't happen. He's been with the Falcons since 2008 and is the longest-tenured starting quarterback for any franchise in the NFL. The Falcons are the only home he's known, so it makes sense that he would stay.

However, it never feels good to be rejected, and even though communication between Arthur Blank, general manager Terry Fontenot and Ryan has been reportedly consistent, there's a chance Ryan stays away and asks for his ticket out of Atlanta.

Arthur Blank

Atlanta Falcons Fans Facebook Group

Terry Fontenot, Arthur Smith

A.J. Terrell

There's also an issue when it comes to A.J. Terrell. His situation is not as serious as Ryan's, but fans might wonder how he feels considering the fact that he was floated in trade rumors and the Houston Texans didn't even receive a pick in exchange for Watson.

With the Falcons not completing a deal for Watson, they now become direction-less, and there isn't a whole lot of time for them to pick and stick with a plan.

Published Mar 18, 2022

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.