Jimmy Haslam's invitation to hold him “accountable” is “just words,” Mike Florio claims

NFL analyst Mike Florio shared his thoughts on Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam's recent comments to hold him "accountable" for the Deshaun Watson blunder. Haslam said on Monday that Cleveland's move to obtain Watson in 2022 was a "swing and a miss." He added that fans should hold him accountable as the team's owner.

On Tuesday's edition of "Pro Football Talk Live," Florio said Haslam's comments are "just words." Florio pointed out that it's impossible to hold the owner of the team accountable.

"OK, I accept your offer," Florio said (0:40). "Jimmy has to hold you accountable. How do you hold an owner accountable? There is no way to hold an owner of a team accountable. What can you do? What can you do? Make him sell the team? The fans are not going to deny themselves. They say this all the time. You're not going to deprive yourself the thing you love.

"You're not going to stop going to the games. You're not going to stop watching the games. You love the Cleveland Browns, and you accept them warts and all. There is no way to hold an owner accountable. You hold a GM accountable by firing him, a coach, accountable by firing him, a player, accountable by getting rid of him. There's no way to hold an owner accountable. So it's just words."

The Cleveland Browns and the failed Deshaun Watson experiment

NFL: Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns - Source: Imagn

In 2022, the Browns gave up their first-round picks in 2022, 2023 and 2024, as well as a 2023 third-rounder and fourth-round picks in 2022 and 2024 to the Houston Texans in exchange for Deshaun Watson. Cleveland also signed Watson to a five-year $230 million fully guaranteed contract.

However, Watson only played six games in 2022, missing 11 due to suspension stemming from sexual assault allegations. It was followed by Watson's season-ending injuries in 2023 and 2024.

The quarterback has never started more than seven games for Cleveland in a season without going down for the year. In January, Watson re-ruptured his torn Achilles and is expected to miss most, if not all, of the 2025 season. Cleveland is reportedly seriously considering moving on from him and could draft a QB with its second overall selection in the 2025 NFL draft.