Three years into a five-year, fully guaranteed $230 contract, the Browns are staring at buyer’s remorse and no easy solution to their Deshaun Watson problem.
Watson officially hit injured reserve with a season-ending injury for the second consecutive season, and his financial cost to Cleveland is only part of the story. Because of the guaranteed deal – unprecedented at this rate, position, and length of contract in the NFL – general manager Andrew Berry tied the Browns to Watson for several more years. His dead cap figure if released this week? Almost $120 million – and over $80 million more for 2025.
Next year is only marginally better with cap hits well north of the record $85 million total dead salary cap the Broncos are splitting between 2024 and 2025 for kicking Russell Wilson to the curb.
Watson’s 2025 dead cap hit would be $118.94 million with an additional $53 million on the cap in ‘26. He won’t be a free agent until 2027. There’s no getting that money back, or the three first-round picks delivered to the Texans in the trade to get Watson.
With one win in seven games this season, six games played in 2023 and six in 2022 after serving an 11-game suspension, Watson goes back on the shelf having netted the Browns a grand total of 19 touchdown passes in 19 games. His record of 9-10 since sitting out the 2021 season with the Texans partially explains why fans in Cleveland decided to cheer Watson’s second-quarter injury last week.
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Choosing a direction with Watson is the first step for Cleveland to determine where the Browns go from here.
Barring a shocking shift from owner Jimmy Haslam, Browns general manager Andrew Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski aren’t going anywhere this season or in the offseason.
Both signed long-term contract extensions in June, in part a reward for Stefanski getting the Browns to 11 wins and into the playoffs in 2023 after Watson’s shoulder surgery, with five different quarterbacks making at least one start.
The tandem is 38-37 since being hired in 2020.
Watson is still owed $92 million for the next two seasons. It’s guaranteed, and the only path out of the deal would be Watson being suspended again.
Stefanski didn’t sound like a coach ready to move on from Watson on Monday, either.
“This is a tough break for him, but I know he will bounce back,” Stefanski said. “But he’s been a great contributor to this football team, both in the locker room, on the practice field, on the game field, and we’ll just support him as he rehabs from that injury. I do think we know what he’s about. I know what he brings to the table for this football team.”
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