Terrible Deshaun Watson Contract Is Gift That Keeps On Taking

There's an adage about digging holes: It's at some point best to stop digging because it can become a grave. And this applies to the Cleveland Browns as they handle Deshaun Watson's contract.

It is universally understood the quarterback's $230 fully guaranteed deal was bad. NFL owners, not named Browns owner Jimmy Haslem, panned the deal in private because it set a precedent of being 100 percent guaranteed – like what happens in baseball in basketball.

CLEVELAND, OHIO - OCTOBER 20: Deshaun Watson #4 of the Cleveland Browns reacts after being hit by Joseph Ossai #58 of the Cincinnati Bengals in the second quarter of a game at Huntington Bank Field on October 20, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)

Watson Hasn't Lived Up To Contract

Then Watson, the beneficiary of the deal, was suspended 11 games in his first year with the Browns in 2022.

Then he got injured in his second year with the Browns in 2023.

Then he got injured in his third year with the Browns in 2024.

Then he got re-injured in January, once again rupturing the same Achilles tendon he was recovering from that forced him out in '24.

So, the Browns have admitted they are unclear when Watson will return. He could conceivably miss the entire 2025 season.

And despite all this, the team on Thursday felt the need to restructure Watson's contract. No, not to cut his salary.

CLEVELAND, OHIO - OCTOBER 20: Deshaun Watson #4 of the Cleveland Browns is hit by Joseph Ossai #58 of the Cincinnati Bengals in the second quarter of a game at Huntington Bank Field on October 20, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)

Watson Deal Will Hurt More Later

The team restructured the contract by taking his fully guaranteed base salary of $46 million and converting it to a bonus.

This is a salary cap strategy that creates $35.79 million in cap space for the Browns now. So, in the short-term, it looks great for the team because it gives the Browns operating space to become salary cap compliant by the opening of the new league year on March 12.

But the move comes with negative long-term effects.

Because money shaved from the cap this year, on the front end, doesn't disappear. It gets added to ensuing years.

That means the dead money hit for Watson in 2026, which was scheduled to be $99.5 million before Thursday, is now $135.4 million. His cap number, which was scheduled to be $54.8 million, will now be $81.6 million.

And in 2027, when Watson is a free agent and predictably no longer on the team, the Browns will carry a $53.7 million cap charge for Watson. Because the savings they took this year prorates past the end of the deal into a void year.

Cleveland Browns  Executive VP of Football Operations and GM Andrew Berry talks to the media at the 2024 NFL Combine.

(Trevor Ruszkowski/USA TODAY Sports)

Browns Restructure Approach Wrong 

So, Watson's deal is a gift that keeps on taking.

It should be noted that NFL teams restructure deals all the time. But they typically do it with good players. They do it with productive players they believe will be around until the end of their deals and beyond if they can work an extension.

The Browns, led by general manager Andrew Berry, are doing this with a player who has been a bust for them. 

They are restructuring because their original deal came with an onerous cap hit this year, and next year, and the following year. And despite Watson not being a good player for them the past three years, they just made the deal worse for 2026 and '27.