Deshaun Watson and the Browns: Locked In, Like It or Not
Deshaun Watson isn’t going anywhere - at least not anytime soon. Despite a large chunk of the Cleveland fan base ready to move on, the Browns are tied to their quarterback through one of the most complex and financially loaded contracts in NFL history. And unless something truly unexpected happens, Watson is set to play out the fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million deal he signed after being traded to Cleveland in March 2022.
Let’s be clear: this isn’t about whether the trade or the contract was a good idea. Browns owner Jimmy Haslam has already admitted that giving up three first-round picks (2022, 2023, 2024), plus a fourth-rounder in 2022, a third in 2023, and another fourth in 2024 - all for Watson and a sixth-round pick - was a mistake. But the structure of Watson’s deal, especially after a key contract move in December 2024, has made it nearly impossible to pivot away from him in the short term.
A Contract Built to Stick
In December 2024, the Browns made a move that essentially cemented Watson’s place on the roster through the 2026 season. They added voidable years in 2029 and 2030 and converted previously voidable years in 2027 and 2028 into real contract years with minimum salaries. But here’s the kicker: Watson’s 2029 base salary is a staggering $200 million - and while that number might sound outrageous, it only becomes fully guaranteed if Watson is still on the roster on the third day of the 2027 league year.
That’s not going to happen. The Browns are expected to release Watson in March 2027 with a post-June 1 designation - a move that allows them to spread out the salary cap hit over two years. This designation is used by teams to manage cap pain more strategically: the player is released before June 2, but the cap consequences are treated as if the release occurred after that date.
In Watson’s case, that strategy helps the Browns handle the financial fallout from multiple contract restructures that have already pushed bonus money deep into future years.
The Cap Crunch and the 2026 Restructure
Cleveland’s salary cap situation heading into the 2026 league year is tight - and Watson is at the center of it. His cap number for 2026?
A league-high $80,716,534. That’s not sustainable, so the Browns are expected to restructure his deal once again before the league year kicks off on March 11.
The plan? Convert $44.7 million of his fully guaranteed $46 million base salary into a signing bonus. That move would free up $35.76 million in cap space for 2026 - giving the Browns much-needed breathing room.
But it comes at a cost. Restructuring again means even more dead money down the line.
When Watson is released in 2027, the Browns will be staring at a record-breaking $86,206,864 in dead money - surpassing the $85 million the Broncos took on after releasing Russell Wilson in 2024. That dead money will be split: $34.66 million in 2027 and $51.54 million in 2028.
Where does all that money come from? It’s the result of bonus proration from four different restructures - 2023 through 2026 - spread across the remaining years of the deal. By the time 2029 rolls around, Watson will finally be off the books.
No Easy Way Out
Could the Browns just cut ties with Watson now? Not without taking on a massive financial hit.
Releasing him this offseason with a post-June 1 designation - and without restructuring his deal again - would still leave them with $80.7 million in dead money for 2026 and another $50.4 million in 2027. If they tried to release him outright, that number jumps to a jaw-dropping $131.1 million in dead money, due to the acceleration of all the prorated bonuses from the future years of his deal.
What about a trade? That's not happening either.
Watson has a no-trade clause, and even if he waived it, there’s no market for him right now. He’s coming off a torn right Achilles - suffered in October 2024 - and a re-tear that required another surgery in January 2025.
Add in his off-the-field history and the sharp drop in performance since his Houston days, and it’s hard to imagine any team lining up to take on his contract.
Remember, this is a quarterback who once led the NFL in passing yards (4,823) and set a Texans franchise record with 33 touchdown passes in 2020. That version of Watson hasn’t shown up in Cleveland.
Even if a team were willing to trade for him after another contract restructure this offseason, the Browns would still be on the hook for the same $86.2 million in dead money in 2027 - the same cap hit they’d take by releasing him next year. If they tried to trade him before June 2, it would be even worse: $129.8 million in dead money for 2026.
A Glimmer of Hope?
One potential wild card in this saga is the coaching change. Kevin Stefanski is out, and Todd Monken is in.
Monken reportedly sees some potential in Watson, based on how the quarterback played against him in the past. Whether that optimism translates into results is a different story.
Watson’s recent injury history is extensive. He played just six games in 2023 due to a fractured glenoid bone in his throwing shoulder.
Then came the Achilles tear in 2024 and the re-injury in early 2025. For him to return to anything close to his 2020 form would require a remarkable - and highly unlikely - turnaround.
But for now, the Browns are locked in. The contract says so.
The cap says so. And unless something dramatic changes, Deshaun Watson will remain the face of Cleveland’s quarterback room through 2026 - whether fans like it or not.