The Browns don’t have any good options when it comes to the final two years of quarterback Deshaun Watson’s fully guaranteed contract. And so they prepare a batch of chicken salad with a salary cap.
PFT has confirmed multiple reports that the Browns and Watson have reached an agreement on a restructuring.
However, the news terms are not what others have characterized them as. The Watson contract already gave the Browns the right to convert a portion of his $46 million base salary into a guaranteed payment. At some point, the Browns will likely do just that and lower their 2025 cap hit from $72.935 million.
The new terms in the latest deal include a $200 million salary for 2029 that will become fully guaranteed if he is on the roster by the third day of the 2027 league year. The Browns are expected to use the post-June 1 title to release Watson on the first day of the 2027 league year, with his final cap hit split into 2027 and 2028.
The move won’t cost Watson anything and it will help the Browns create cap space that can be used while he’s still on the team. It also entitles him to injury protection under the CBA for 2027 and 2028.
The revised deal essentially guarantees that Watson will remain with the Browns through 2026. But that always happened. They owe him $46 million over the next two seasons. The consequences of cutting him would be enormous.
The real question is whether he will be the starter in 2025. Even though they have to pay him, they don’t have to play him.
And if the Browns play him, fans might not want to pay for tickets to watch the games.