Deshaun Watson
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The Browns are once again restructuring Deshaun Watson's massive contract
The Cleveland Browns have a lot of work to do this offseason. While some serious changes have already been made to the coaching staff, where Todd Monken has replaced Kevin Stefanski as the team’s head coach, the real work needs to be done to the roster, particularly when it comes to the offensive side of the ball.
Easily the biggest question mark on the Browns’ roster is at the quarterback position, which currently consists of Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, and Deshaun Watson. After not playing at all in 2025 as he recovered from a ruptured Achilles tendon, Watson’s future with Cleveland is up in the air, and ahead of free agency, the front office has made an important move involving him.
Browns Restructure Deshaun Watson’s Contract
Mary Kay Cabot
#Browns are restructuring Deshaun Watson’s contract today to lower his $80.716M cap charge in time to become compliant for the start of the league year, league source tells clevelanddotcom. It gives the Browns flexibility to sign free agents.
Back in 2022, the Browns pulled off a blockbuster trade with the Houston Texans that will likely go down as one of the worst moves in NFL history. Cleveland gave up a package of draft picks that was headlined by three first-round selections, even though Watson faced a slew of sexual assault charges that eventually led to him receiving an 11-game suspension to begin his stint with his new team.
Due to his off-field issues and an array of injuries, Watson has played in just 19 total games over his first four years with the Browns. The problem is that, even when he’s been on the field, Watson has looked nothing like the Pro Bowl-caliber player he was during his time with the Texans. Beyond that, immediately after the trade, Cleveland signed Watson to a fully-guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract extension.
Simply put, pretty much everything that could go wrong with Watson has gone wrong. With the Browns paying an inordinate amount of money to a player who has done virtually nothing for them, it has forced the front office to continually restructure his contract each offseason so that it has cap space to actually make moves in free agency. With Watson set for a mind-boggling $80 million cap charge in 2026, Cleveland has reportedly restructured his contract once again.
“The Browns are converting a sizable chunk of Watson’s $80.716 million cap charge into a restructure bonus to ease the huge burden,” Mary Kay Cabot reported for Cleveland.com. “The exact amount of cap relief was not immediately known, but the charges will be added to the void years in his contract, which currently run from 2027 to 2029.”
Will Deshaun Watson Play for the Browns in 2026?
Deshaun Watson #4 of the Cleveland Browns
GettyDeshaun Watson #4 of the Cleveland Browns
At this stage of the game, the Browns are simply looking to unload Watson’s contract. And yet, with no real answer at the quarterback position, he could conceivably get snaps for the team in 2026. As noted above, though, Watson’s numbers have been awful during his time with Cleveland (341/557, 3,365 YDS, 19 TD, 12 INT), so it’s tough to justify playing him over a guy like Sanders or Gabriel.
While the exact financials of Watson’s restructured contract aren’t known yet, it’s clear that this move will free up tens of millions of dollars for the Browns to use in free agency. The front office will look to use those funds to make some serious upgrades on the offensive side of the ball, and while it may seem like a longshot, Watson could actually be the one who reaps the benefit of the team’s offseason additions once the 2026 campaign rolls around.