Happy Deshaun Watson restructure day to all of those who celebrate. In an annual reminder of the disaster contract the Cleveland Browns gave to Watson as part of a blockbuster trade nearly three years ago, the Browns have kicked the Watson can down the road one more time. Cleveland restructured his deal to free up more than $30 million in 2026 cap space, helping the team navigate the short term.
#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.
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) March 6, 2026
Assuming it’s the Full Monty of maximum allowable restructure, the team will clear over $35 million in space.
Of all the franchise’s bad moves with Watson, restructuring his deal is a smart one. While it kicks inevitable dead money into future cap years, the league’s rising number means that money will be a smaller percentage of future cap and negatively impact the team less.
It also helps make Cleveland players for free agency, though general manager Andrew Berry previously lowered expectations and told reporters the Browns weren’t likely to make a big free agent splash. Most of their offseason could be focused on re-signing their own, like former Steelers ILB Devin Bush and OG Teven Jenkins. Two players who busted with their previous teams but have reinvented themselves in Cleveland.
Signing a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract, Watson’s contract with Cleveland made history. Now, it makes infamy. The Browns also gave up three 1st round picks and additional draft capital to acquire him. All despite Watson sitting out the 2021 season and facing a looming suspension over sexual assault and harassment allegations from multiple massage therapists. The NFL suspended him for the first 11 games of 2022.
Watson returned and has never looked like the once-dominant player he was in Houston. In 19 starts in Cleveland, Watson has a losing record and averages just one passing touchdown a game. He twice tore his Achilles tendon in 2024, once on the field and again in rehab, wiping out all of 2025.
Publicly, the Browns are putting Watson back in the 2026 quarterback mix with Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel. Maybe he’ll have a legitimate shot. Or maybe it’s a small save-face to offer one last hope of Watson providing the franchise something, even if it will go down as one of the worst trades in league history.
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