The Cleveland Browns aren't in the clear yet when it comes to paying Deshaun Watson.
It's safe to say the Browns made a mistake by trading for Watson and immediately rewarding him with a five-year, $230 million contract that was fully-guaranteed. He has only appeared in 19 games since 2022, completing 61.2% of his passes for 3,365 yards with 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. To make matters worse, he's on Cleveland's books for the next few years. In fact, his cap hits for future seasons are about to go up.
According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, the Browns are restructuring Watson's contract for the 2026 season. That move felt inevitable since he was slated to have a $80.716 million cap hit.
"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," Cabot said. "The restructure will enable the Browns to sign some of their own free agents and those of other teams. They need offensive linemen and receivers, among other things."
Sep 7, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) during the second half against the Cincinnati Bengals at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images © Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
Although this move will free up cap space for the Browns, their fans aren't thrilled with this move.
"So were going to let this GM pass the buck so the next gm has to eat the salary he has messed up," a Browns fan wrote on social media.
"WHY ??? Just suffer this year pay him off , so we have a solid future…. STOP PUSHING MONEY DOWN THE ROAD !! We'll never be able to make a real push at free agency," a second fan commented.
"Awful Franchise!! Wasted $230M & 3 first rd picks on this clown. One more yr left," another fan said.
Will Deshaun Watson start Week 1?
Watson missed the entire 2025 season since he was rehabbing from a torn Achilles. Though his best days appear to be behind him, he might have the opportunity to redeem himself.
JW Johnson, a partner of the Haslam Sports Group, revealed that Watson will compete for the starting job in Cleveland.
"Nobody is getting handed the keys to the car today," Johnson said. "They're going to come in and compete. Deshaun is coming off a major injury. He's done well and has battled back. It's nice to see him back. … Shedeur and Dillon had ups and downs during their rookie years. Now with a new head coach, let's see how they come in, compete and understand the offense. I think it's open competition and we are excited about it."
Watson will have to defeat a pair of second-year quarterbacks in Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders if he wants to be the Week 1 starter. It's also possible Browns coach Todd Monken adds another option to his depth chart in free agency.
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