Browns Restructure Deshaun Watson's $250 Million Contract Again.
The Cleveland Browns have been through a lot as an NFL team. Just when it looks like they might finally be on the upswing, things seem to go sideways. Back in 2020, Baker Mayfield helped the Browns snag a playoff win against their rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he was out the door just a year later. Fast forward to 2023, and the team brought in Joe Flacco as a backup quarterback. His comeback story was a nice highlight during the regular season, but then the Browns got crushed in the playoffs.
A lot of these issues stem from the Browns themselves. A prime example is the mess they've had with Deshaun Watson. In 2022, after deciding to move on from Mayfield, they traded for Watson, who was previously with the Houston Texans.
The trade was already a tough pill to swallow. Cleveland gave up six draft picks, including their first-round picks for 2022, 2023, and 2024, just to get Watson and a sixth-round pick in return. Then, they went ahead and signed Watson to a massive five-year contract worth $230 million, fully guaranteed.
The Browns just revamped Watson's contract. He’s still set to pocket $46 million guaranteed this year, even if he doesn’t step on the field, but it’ll come as a signing bonus instead of his regular salary. This move helps Cleveland save $36 million against the salary cap. It’s a tiny silver lining for the fans, considering how rough things have been.
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A year before the Browns made the deal, Watson faced almost two dozen lawsuits—eventually totaling 24 by June 2022—from massage therapists accusing him of various sexual assault incidents.
The Browns were aware of all this and still handed Watson nearly $250 million. He ended up missing the first 11 games of the 2022 season due to a league suspension linked to the allegations and lawsuits.
Unfortunately, things haven’t improved since then. Watson often gets injured, and when he does play, he seems like a shadow of his former self. He’s only played in 19 out of the 51 regular season games since joining the Browns. He hasn’t once thrown for over 300 yards, has nearly as many turnovers (17) as touchdown passes (19), and the team holds a 9-10 record with him as the starter.
The trade has turned out to be a total mess for the Browns, no matter how you slice it. This is the second time in just three months that they've had to tweak the deal, trying to make the best of a bad situation. The last adjustment added a voidable year in 2028 to Watson's contract, which is supposed to wrap up in 2026. It's just another move to manage the salary cap, but it doesn't actually lower the cash the Browns owe Watson.
Watson is currently recovering from an Achilles injury and should be in the running for the starting position again this year. But honestly, he doesn't have to play if he doesn't want to. He's still going to collect the full $230 million from his contract—no amount of restructuring is going to change that.
Despite the challenges surrounding Deshaun Watson's tenure with the Cleveland Browns, the team's efforts to restructure his contract provide a silver lining. By converting a significant portion of his salary into a signing bonus, the Browns have managed to create much-needed cap space, allowing for more flexibility in building the roster.
With Watson still under contract for several more years, Cleveland will hope for better performance on the field as he recovers and returns to form. While his time with the Browns has been tumultuous, there's still potential for Watson to prove his value and help the team achieve future success.
